Four-strand Round Rope, Taura puna.

These are made of bast, generally that of the hau. The four ends are first fixed and then two are crossed as in Fig. 68A. As the strand, 2, came from the left and crossed the other, the next strand, 3, must come from the right, and cross over one strand as in B. The principle of the plait may now be enunciated. Every strand coming in must pass round the back in the opposite direction to the last strand that came in. It must pass under the outer strand on its incoming side, and pass over the nearest of the remaining pair. Thus in the combination of three shown in B, the last strand, 3, came in from the right. The next strand, 4, must therefore cross the back to the left, pass under the outer strand, 1, and cross over the nearest of the remaining pair, which is 3. See Fig. 68C.

The outside strand in C is 1. As the last strand came in on the left, the strand, 1, must now cross the back of the rope to the right, pass under the outer strand, 2, and cross

Figure 68.
Plaiting of four-strand round rope.

the nearer of the remaining pair, which is 4, at D. The outside strand in D is 2, which is on the right. It must pass round the back in the opposite direction, that is towards the left. It here passes under the outer strand, 3, and crosses over the nearer of the remaining pair, which is 1, as in E. In this manner, the round rope develops itself. The outside strand is always the furthest back, and is always on the side on which the last strand entered. It always passes round the back to the opposite side where it passes under the outer of the three, and over the nearer of the remaining pair. The appearance as the rope develops is shown in Fig. 68F. See also Fig. 67B.

These ropes were generally used as pig ropes with a modification for passing round the leg.