664 
COUNTING. 
branch or leaf beneath it ; this substance is greedily eaten 
by the natives; on the eastern shores of Taupo Lake, it is 
found in great abundance, in taste it resembles that of manna 
in general, or rather it may be said to have no particular 
flavor, being merely like sugar. 
In Australia, the manna produced by one of the Eucalypti, 
which, by way of distinction, has been named the Manna- 
bearing gum tree, is found in round circular bodies, closely 
resembling Coriander comfits ; these are largely strewed on 
the ground, and if not gathered early in the morning, are 
almost sure to disappear in a very short time, being carried 
off by myriads of ants, and it is highly probable they are the 
producers of it by puncturing the leaves. In New Zealand 
the cause of its formation is owing to a small grub, which 
forms its paths between the bark and the wood, its little 
tracks become so many ducts for the sap, which is speedily 
crystalized by the action of the sun. It is observable that the 
manna-bearing gum, when raised in New Zealand, continues 
to produce it, but not in the same way from the leaves, but 
like that of the manuka, probably from the worm supplying 
the place of the ants. I have noticed a kind of manna in 
New Zealand on the branches of the weeping willow, where 
the worm had been at work, but the quantity of saccharine 
matter being too small to crystalize, it merely becomes a 
sweet syrup. 
Counting. 
The old Maori way of counting was evidently at first by 
the fingers up to ten, then a shake of both hands were given 
which signified one ten, this was called a nga hum, or the 
entire ten fingers ; one hand being shaken implied five, or the 
half ; ten shakes of the two were one hundred, and so on. 
Thus, ko tahi was one finger, ha rua two, ka tom three, 
ka iva four, ka rima five, ka ono six, ka witu seven, ka warn 
eight, ka iwa nine, ka te kau ten ; then a shake of the hands 
was given, this was nga hum , the whole ten fingers ; tekau 
ma tahi eleven, tekau ma rua twelve, &c. ; ma te kau twenty, 
and so on to ko tahi rau one hundred, and ko tahi mano one 
