384 
LAND. 
The fresh water mussel, (kakahi,) and crayfish, (koura,) 
occasionally furnish a meal. 
The principal salt water fish which was formerly eaten was 
the shark, (mango,) which was caught in great numbers with 
the hook. They were cut open, and then hung up in the sun 
and wind on high horizontal poles to dry; and before they 
were so, they generally became quite putrid. It was a winter 
food, a small quantity being cooked as a relish for their ku- 
mara, which, in flavour, nearly corresponded with our rich 
rotten cheese. 
The tamure, (or snapper,) and the kahawai, (mackerel,) 
were taken with a hook attached to a piece of the haliotis shell; 
being deceived by its resemblance to a fish, they were easily 
caught. The hapuku, (or cod,) is the most prized of sea fish; 
it often attains a very large size, weighing fifty pounds or 
more. The conger eel is also eaten. Some fish are taken 
with the seine, which they make of great length. 
Seals were formerly abundant, and much prized as food; in 
fact, all was fish which came to the net, even bats and owls were 
not despised ; oysters, mussels, and other shell fish formed also 
a portion of their support. 
Land is held in three ways by the natives: either by the 
entire tribe, by some family of it, or by a single individual. 
The common rights of a tribe are often very extensive. These 
generally apply to waste lands or forests, and convey to each 
individual of the tribe the right of hunting and fishing over 
those parts. By intermarriages, several tribes are sometimes 
thus entitled; but, if such land be sold, it is nominally said 
to belong to the principal Chief or Chiefs of the tribe; they 
are the parties with whom the treaty is made, and to them the 
payment is given, which is, however, a nominal honor, the 
money being equitably divided amongst all who are entitled to 
a portion, the seller rarely retaining anything for himself. The 
same may be said of that which is claimed by families. Private 
rights to land are very rare. 
The eel cuts are held in the same way. These are drains 
made from lakes or swamps, with weirs at the outlet to catch 
