3 5 
New Zealand Palm, (Areca sapid a,) and the handsome Peed, Kakahoy 
( Arundo con&picua ,) were extensively used. The interior of the veran¬ 
dahs and sides of their Chiefs’ houses was often neatly ornamented with 
chequered work of various regular patterns'and designs, caused by inter¬ 
lacing narrow strips of the leaves of the bright orange-colored Pingae 
( Desmoschosnus spiralis,) with the greyish-green Kiekie ( Freycinetia 
Uanksii), and the olive-colored Harakeke ( Phormium teriax,) which, 
worked regularly, had a very pleasing effect. Sometimes, especially in 
the interior, the outside of their better houses was formed of hard fibrous 
slabs cut from the stout red-brown fern-tree, Wekiponga ( DicJcsonia 
australis) ; and, in other parts of the Island, smaller pieces cut from 
the trunk of the black fern tree, Koran, or Mamaku, ( Cyathea mednl- 
laris,) were closely placed like a plinth around the lower part of the 
house, especially if it were a sweet potatoe store, to keep out the rats. 
Their large and small fish-traps, or creels, were very strongly and skil¬ 
fully made of the flexible stems of two species of Muhlenbechia, (adpressa 
and ephedroidcs,) and also of the long fibrous roots of the New Zealand 
flax ( Phormium ) ; the stems of the twining fern {Lycjodium articulatuni ,) 
were also extensively used for this purpose by the Northern tribes. 
Their fishing nets, of sill sizes of mesh, (some of which nets were very 
long, and most skilfully made, the admiration of Cook and of all early 
voyagers), were made of the split but unscrapcd leaves of the New Zea¬ 
land flax ( Phormium ) ; for floats, the light wood of the small tree Wliau, 
or Hauama, ( Entdea arhoresccns ,) was used, and sometimes the leaves 
of the Raupo, or large Bulrush, rolled up ; and for net-ropes the tough 
stringy bark of the Houhere, and also of the Whauwhi or Houi, ( Ho- 
heria pojndnca , and of its varieties,) was plaited together; leaves of 
Phormium were also used for this purpose. Excellent fishing-lines, of 
various lengths and sizes, were capitally spun by tbe band from the 
dressed fibre of tbe New Zealand flax ; and for books, the tough natu¬ 
rally curved stems of the climbing fern (Lygodium arliculatum ,) and 
tbe roots of the shrub Tauhinu (. Pomadcrris ericifolia,) hardened by 
lire, were sometimes used; human bone, however, being always pre¬ 
ferred. Canoe sails were manufactured from tbe leaves of tbe Kaupo, 
laced across with the fibres of New Zealand flax; while tbe Ilime, or 
downy pappus of tbe seeds of the Raupo, was used for caulking and 
plugging boles in their canoes. Useful floor and sleeping mats of all 
sizes, and of several patterns and kinds, were woven of leaves of New 
Zealand flax ( Phormium ), of Kiekie (Freycinetia Banksii ,) and some- 
