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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

1.—Objects Made of Cocoanut Leaves

1.—Objects Made of Cocoanut Leaves.

Cocoanut leaves were used in the same manner as nets to enclose fish, as leads to a cord net or weir, and as an instrument for driving fish into a net.

(a.)Makaatu. Cocoanut leaves are split down the midrib, commencing at the tip ends. The extra thickness of midrib towards the butt ends is split off and discarded. About three half leaves are joined together by knotting the midrib ends with a reef knot. They are then twisted round and round, so that the leaflets stick out in all directions. Another set of two or three leaves is joined on and also twisted. This is carried on until a great length of twisted leaves is obtained. The leaf midribs are strengthened by the addition of a stout vine, kaka, which is tied at intervals with an overhand knot. The completed length is called a makaatu, the ends being termed kaoti and the middle part the kopu.

The makaatu is drawn out parallel with the shore when the tide is coming in. The fishermen wait till the full tide, just before the ebb. The ends, kaoti, are then drawn towards the beach. Men follow up along the line of the makaatu, ready to lift it over a rock or to splice a break. As lengths of the ends are drawn in on the beach, they are cut off and doubled back over the portion still in the water, to reinforce it. The fish are naturally in the kopu (belly) of the net, and the reinforcing is necessary to prevent the weight of fish breaking through.

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The makaatu is only used once. In Aitutaki it is drawn when the right stage of the tide falls, about sunset. Large quantities and varieties of fish art caught, including shark and turtle.

(b.)Torau. The torau is a shorter length of cocoanut leaves, from six to fifteen yards. It is made in a similar manner to the makaatu, except that the leaflets are split down on either side of leaflet midribs. This causes the leaflets to hang down more than in the makaatu.

The net is used by young people in the daytime, at high tide. They work along a good beach, and the same net is used again and again.

Smaller species of fish, such as the kouma, vete, paoa, rierie, patiki, ripu, rakoa, rekau, kivari, and kanae, are caught with the torau.

(c.)Mauru. A piece of leaf about 5 feet or more in length is prepared as follows:—

The butt end is stripped of leaflets and used as a handle. The leaflets of the tip end are split down on either side of the leaflet midribs, which are then pinched off at their base.

The mauru is used like a pole or toko to drive fish towards a set net. A number of men armed with mauru drive the fish by poking them out of the holes in the rocks.

The fish caught are those which frequent the neighbourhood of rocks, such as maito, tarakihi, taputapu, nanue, takuo, vaia, manini, and others.

(d.)Ta-uoa. This is a process—ta meaning to kill, and uoa, a kind of fish.

A tuturua net of twisted cord is set up and two lengths of cocoanut leaf, prepared as in the makaatu, are run out from it as a race with divergent arms. For further particulars see under tuturua net.

(e.)Rama, or torches, of various sizes for different purposes are made from the dry leaves of the cocoanut. The process of making a torch is called ruru rama.

The required number of dry leaves are laid on one another, with the butt ends together. The butt ends are tied together with a long strip of hau bark. The operator straddles over the leaves, and passing the butt ends forward between the legs, he winds the continuation of the strip of bark round tightly in a spiral by rotating the bundle of leaves. The bark is tied at the tip end, see Fig. 236.

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Figure 236.Making a cocoanut leaf torch, rūrū rămă.

Figure 236.
Making a cocoanut leaf torch, rūrū rămă.

Torches are named after the method of fishing in which they are used. There are three common methods, as follows:—

(1.)Rama tupahi.

This is a hand torch, consisting of three leaves. The fisherman ties a basket round his waist—ka parepare te kete. He is also armed with a curved piece of ironwood called a rakau tupahi. In these days a piece of hoop iron, paha, is used instead.

This method is used near the beach or on the reef, where the water is shallow. The best time is just before the tide ebbs. The fish, while they are dazzled by the light of the torch, are struck with the rakau tupahi.

Sea crayfish koura, are also caught on the reef whilst torching. Here, however, the ironwood stick is not used. The koura is trodden on and then collected into the basket—Ka takahia te koura, ka ao ki te kete.

(2.)Rama pātia.

The rama patia is used with the spearing method— patia, to pierce It consists of four or five leaves, and is used on a canoe. As many as twenty torches may be carried, laid longitudinally over three transverse pieces of wood laid across the canoe. The kauru, tip ends of the torches, are always towards the bow. The torches are kept from slipping off' by tying a strip of hau bark page 280to one end of a transverse piece, running it over the heap and tying again.

The method required three men. The skilled spearman was right in the bow. Just behind him was the torch bearer, tangata turama. As his torch burnt down, he pulled a fresh one forward by the tip end and lit it at the old one. When fully alight, the burnt-down torch was thrown overboard and the newly-lit torch raised into position. The third member was in the stern to propel the canoe. As they were inside the reef, he was armed with a pole, toko.

(3.)Rama maroro.

This is used in torching for flying-fish, maroro. The torches and the arrangement on the canoe are exactly similar to the previous method. The man in the bow is armed with a flying-fish net. The torch-bearer occupied the same position. As the flying-fish are caught outside the reef, the man in the stern has a paddle instead of a pole. Rama maroro, besides meaning the torch, also applies to the process of torching for flying-fish.

Other fish, such as ieie (piper) may be caught from a canoe at night with a scoop net.