CoLENSO. — Botanij of the North I-slaiul of JSfeiv Zealand. 2G7 



of mataii and manuka woods. The spines of tlie tumatakuru, or New 

 Zealand tliorn {Discaina tomnatou), were sometimes used for tattooing, 

 thougli instruments of bone were preferred ; tte black pigment for the 

 same operation being obtained from tbe soot of old and bard kapia or kauri 

 resin, dug out of the earth ; and also from the ashes of the curious vegeto- 

 caterpillar fungus, the hawhato {Co7'dicq)s rohertsii), which was sometimes 

 mixed with the black juice of the mahoe berry {Mclicytus ramiflorus). 

 Mutes were made of the woody stems of the kohoho or poroporo {Eolanum 

 aviculare), and of the tupakihi or tutu (Coriaria ruse folia) . Ornamental 

 boxes for holding feathers, &c., with their covers, were generally carved out 

 of mataii wood ; and flying-kites were very ingeniously made of the toetoe 

 (^Cyperus ustulatus). After the introduction of flint and steel the pith of 

 the flowering stems of the New Zealand flax served for tinder, and so did 

 the putawa, a fungus (Boletus) of enormously large growth, often found on 

 the upper branches of the tawhairaunui (fFagus ? fused). On the New 

 Zealanders learning to write, they used the juice of the root of the New 

 Zealand flax as ink ; the crimson juice of the berry of the kokihi (a species 

 of Tetragonia — T. trigynd), and the dark juice of the berries of Scheffiera 

 digitata, were also used for the same purpose. Sometimes they used a 

 green leaf of New Zealand flax for writing on, etching on it with a nail or 

 style of hard wood, thus unknowingly imitating their Asiatic neighbours. 

 It is highly doubtful whether the New Zealanders ever used any vegetable 

 as an internal medicine before their intercourse with Europeans ; for severe 

 burns, however, they applied outwardly the ashes and charcoal dust of burnt 

 fern fronds {Pteris esculenta), and the fine reddish dust of the large decay- 

 ing fungus pukurau {Lycoperdon fontainesii). The blanched bases of the 

 leaves of the harakeke (PIior?nium) , and the roots of the rengarenga or 

 maikaika (Arfhropodium cirrhatum), were sometimes roasted and beaten to a 

 pulp and applied warm to unbroken tumours and abscesses. As a cataplasm 

 for ulcers they used the leaves of the kohoho or poroporo (Solaniim aviculare), 

 and for wounds and old ulcerated sores they used the large leaves of the 

 pukapuka or rangiora (fBr achy glottis repandci), and also the hune, or pappus 

 down of the large bulrush, but merely as a protection against dust, &c. 

 Layers of dry totara bark, and the lower parts of stout green flax leaves, 

 served admirably as splints in cases of broken bones, the New Zealanders 

 being far better surgeons than physicians. And the leaves of several par- 

 ticular plants were in request for their rude steam or vapour baths for 

 rheumatic and other stubborn and chronic complaints ; but it is highly 

 questionable whether the benefit derived from such baths did not arise 

 entirely from the warm vapour. They sometimes rubbed the fresh juice of 

 the ngaio {Myoporum Icetuiii) over their skin, to keep off the persecuting namu 



