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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Kinds of Net

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Kinds of Net.

Nets made with the foregoing technique may be divided into hand or scoop nets, set nets, and seine nets.

Hand or scoop nets. Hand nets consist of three types —the huata, hopai, and ngake.

(1.)The huata or flying-fish net is composed of a handle, frame, cross-bar, and net, Fig. 247. In the type net examined the dimensions are given with the various parts.

The handle, kakau, consisted of a pole of hau, 11ft. 6in. long and on the average about 4in. in circumference.

The frame, tutu, for supporting the net, consisted of two iron-wood rods varying from 1½ to 2 inches in circumference. They were lashed at their thicker ends to either page 288
Figure 247. The huata, or flying-fish net.

Figure 247.
The huata, or flying-fish net.

side of the handle about 9 inches from one end, Fig. 248. The other ends of the rods were crossed and lashed together to form the point of the frame, which was called the katatai.
Figure 248. Framework of huata net.

Figure 248.
Framework of huata net.

aa—kakau; bb—tutu; c—katatai; d—pukei.

The cross-bar, pukei, was made of iron-wood, 1 foot in length. At its middle point it was lashed to the end of the handle that projected into the frame. The ends were grooved to fit against the frame on either side to which they were lashed. The cross-bar acted as a spreader, and kept the frame in oval shape. The widest part of the frame (inside measurement) was about 11 inches from the cross-bar,
Figure 249. Attachment of huata net to frame.

Figure 249.
Attachment of huata net to frame.

page 289 where it was 1 foot 4 inches. The length from the cross-bar to the point was 2 feet 9 inches.

The net, kupenga, was a mata rima, and hence contained one hundred meshes round the circumference. It was a bag net joined at the ends and bottom, as described. The circumferential meshes were attached to the frame by a continuous cord passing through the meshes, and looped round the frame every here and there with a half-hitch, Fig. 249.

In a Mauke Island net presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr. Drury Lowe, the frame pieces were made of heart of iron-wood, which had been scraped down. The cross-piece, made of tiare maori wood, was 14½ inches in length. The handle of tou was originally 13 feet long, but a couple of feet had been cut off. The widest part of the frame was 2 feet 1 inch, and the length between the crosspiece and the point, 3 feet 5 inches. The lashings were of sinnet, and altogether formed a fine specimen of the old workmanship. It took a very powerful man to wield this net, hence the cutting off of the end of the handle.

Methods of using the net. The process of torching at night for flying-fish was rama maroro. The act of scooping in the flying-fish was termed tahei, and also painga. The operations took place outside the reef, though on occasions flying-fish may be caught in the lagoon. The man with the net was tangata tahei maroro. He stood in the bow of the canoe. Behind him was the torch-bearer, and in the stern, the wielder of the paddle. Sometimes the canoe was sailed. The torch-bearer was the tangata mou rama, whilst the act of using the lit torch was tu rama. The torch-bearer was also known as the tutu ahi, the person who holds up the fire. Thus we have the reference in a ditty termed a tapatapa.

To ahi koia e te tutu ahi,
Kia marama te painga i te maroro.
Ki te aumihi vaka i—.

Your fire, then, O holder of the fire,
That light he shed on the scooping of flying-fish.
To the bow of the canoe—.

The light dazzles the flying-fish on the surface of the water, and the netter brings his net across them with a lateral sweep.
(2.)The hopai net. This net resembles a large edition of the huata, minus the long handle, Fig. 250. It consists page 290
Figure 250. The hopai net.

Figure 250.
The hopai net.

of a frame, cross-bar, and net. The hopai examined gave the following dimensions, Fig. 251.

The frame, tutu, consisted of two rods of iron-wood, each 9 feet 5 inches long. These were lashed together at both ends. The circumference of the rods at the thick ends was 3¼ inches, and at the tip end, 1¾ inches.

Figure 251. Framework of hopai net.

Figure 251.
Framework of hopai net.

The cross-bar, pukei, was 1 foot 6 inches long, and was lashed to the two sides of the frame about 1 foot 2 inches from the butt lashing, leaving an inside measurement between the sides of 1 foot 3 inches.

The net, kupenga, had a 2 1-10 inch mesh. It was a bag net about 5 feet 8 inches in depth. It was attached to the frame by a special cord run through the marginal meshes and looped round the frame with a double twist about every seven inches, Fig. 252.

page 291
Figure 252. Attachment of hopai net to frame.

Figure 252.
Attachment of hopai net to frame.

Method of holding. The net was worked by hand or set in position. In the former, the right hand grasps the cross-bar, and the elbow is braced against the corner made by the lashing of the butt ends of the frame. In this position a good firm hold is maintained, as shown in Fig. 250.

Methods of using the hopai net. There are three usual methods of using the net—the eki, akaoro ngaika uhu, and in fish weirs.

(a.)Eki. The eki method is used out on the reef at low tide on moonlight nights, when the fish are asleep in the channels. The fisherman is armed with a hopai net and a pole, toko. A suitable spot in a channel near some rocks is chosen. Holding the cross-bar of the net with the right hand, the net is pushed down into position on the bottom, whilst the left hand prods about with the pole, uru uru, in such a manner as to startle the fish into the net. The slack of the net is meanwhile held up at the back with the right hand against the cross-bar, to keep it from becoming entangled in the rocks. When a fish dashes against the net the impact is distinctly felt. The slack is let go and the net brought up.

A chant is used as the net is being placed in position:

Ka haere ka tautai,
Ka haere ka tautai,
Tuki eki eki.
Tuki eki eki.

A-fishing we go.
A-fishing we go.

The eki method is used by a single person. Should ill-luck attend him it is attributed to an accompanying spirit, tupapaku, which frightens away the fish. If the reef sandals are turned with the under part uppermost, the spirit, knowing that he is discovered, goes off ashamed. The luck then changes.

page 292

The fish usually caught are kauvaha, uhu, nanue, apiapi, kovia, and even urua.
(b.)Akaoro ngaika uhu. The uhu is the blue parrot fish; ngaika, a shoal; and akaoro, to drive. Thus the process consists in driving blue parrot fish into a hopai net. Other fish may be netted. Akaoro should probably be spelt haka horo.

In this method several may assist. The man with the net stands in a suitable place in a channel on the reef, ava. Two or more assistants may stand on either side to turn the fish towards the net. Other men work down the channel towards the net, and drive any shoal they may see by throwing stones at it. As the netter sees the fish coming, he crouches down, ka papa ki raro, and sets the hopai net across the line they are coming. He holds up the slack, karu. As the shoal strikes the net, he lets go the slack and lifts the net.

The method is a daylight one, used as the tide is coming in, tai maene. When too deep, operations cease until the tide is going out, tai tuku.
(c.)Pa, fish weirs. The hopai is used with certain types of fish weir, not only to scoop up the imprisoned fish, but also to block the weir after the fish have entered. (See section on Fish Weirs.)
(3.)The ngake net. The ngake is made like the huata, but is much smaller, Fig. 253.
Figure 253.The ngake net.

Figure 253.
The ngake net.

page 293

The handle is shorter, and in the example figured there is no cross-bar. The mesh of the net is also finer, for the purpose of catching small fish. A continuous cord is run through the circumferential meshes and tied at the ends. Another cord is then run in a loose spiral round the frame and the cord through the meshes, Fig. 254.

Figure 254.Attachment of ngake net to frame.

Figure 254.
Attachment of ngake net to frame.

The fish caught are the piper, ihe,. and the muro, which has a longer beak than the piper. The time for using the net is at night, and with a torch.

The net may also be used without a handle, to scoop up koamo when the torau leaf net is drawn. The koamo, which are small, run in shoals. They jump over the back of the torau net to escape. The ngake is placed at the back of the torau to intercept them.

Another small shoal fish caught with this net is the tikoami. The mauru, cocoanut branch, is used to drive the fish towards the net, with which they are simply scooped up.

Figure 255.The tuturua net.

Figure 255.
The tuturua net.

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