848 Sssai/s. 



of tlie New Zealand palm, nihau (Areca sapida), and also of tlie ti (Cordyline 

 australis), were eaten both raw and cooked. Tlie watery farinaceous roots 

 of raiipo {Tyfua angusiifolia) were also eaten raw ; and its pollen was made 

 into cakes like gingerbread and baked. Tbe flesby blancbed sugary bracts 

 of the flowers of tbe Melds plant {Freijcinetia hanJcsii), called by tbe natives 

 tawhara, and tbe fruit of tbe same (ii.reure), vv^ben quite ripe, were eagerly 

 Bougbt after in tbeir season. Tbe common sow-tbistle, pmoha {Sonchus 

 oZemcez^s), of wbicb there were two varieties, and tbe little j^oro^oro (Solanum 

 nigrum), and tbe toi {Barharea australis), were also cooked and eaten as 

 vegetables. So were several fungi found growing in open fern lands, and 

 in woods on trees ; also a few of tbe sea-weed class, particularly tbe 

 Tcarengo, a low growing tbin fronded species, found extensively on clayey 

 tidal rocks from tbe East Cape southwards. This kind was gathered and 

 dried for use, and sometimes carried a long way into the interior to friends 

 as a great delicacy. Many small fruits were also eaten when ripe ; such as 

 the fruits of the large timber trees, kahikatea, totara, mataii, and rimu, 

 {Podocarpus dacrydioides, P. totara, P. spicata, and Dacrydium mipressinum) ; 

 of the IcoTiolio {Solanum aviculare), of the p or op or o (S. nigrum), of the kotu- 

 kutuku (FucJisia excorticata,) of the karamn {Goprosma lucida), of the ngaio 

 {Ilyoporum lastimi), of the korapuka {GauWieria antipoda), of two species of 

 myrtle, the ramarama and roJiutu {Myrtus huJlata axii pedunculata) , and of 

 the little heath totara {Leuco'pogon fraseri) . 



12. Labour was by them divided into four great classes, viz. — (1) Male ; 

 (2) Female ; (3) Sacred, and (4) Common. Of fruges consumere nati 

 there were none. Tbe chiefs worked equally with the slaves, especially in 

 the cultivations, and often better and more energetically. There were no 

 really adstricti glehcs. From tbeir youth tbe chiefs were taught to be fore- 

 most and to excel ; and as they gloried in getting a great name, they strove 

 to do so. The men caught fish and eels, and snared birds and rats ; they dug 

 and planted their cultivations ; they climbed the highest trees for their 

 fruits ; they dug up the fern-root ; they felled the timber, and built the 

 houses, and canoes, and made the fences, and all wooden, stone, and bone 

 implements and ornaments ; they made their fishing nets and lines, and eel 

 traps and hooks ; they performed all tbe tattooing ; and very frequently 

 carried tbeir infants for hours on tbeir backs, even while at work. The 

 loomen prepared tbe daily food ; cleaned the fish for drying ; collected shell- 

 fish, edible sea-weeds, and herbs, and firewood ; weeded the plantations, and 

 gathered up the crop when dug ; cut and dressed the flax leaves for clothing 

 and floor mats and baskets, and plaited and v/ove them. Their qicasi 

 " sacred " or taboo {tapu) duties (of which much might be written) could 

 only be properly performed by a " sacred " person ; for although in some 



