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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 74

How Oil and Ochre were obtained

How Oil and Ochre were obtained.

This is how we obtained oil for foasts and the kokowaiwherowhero in former times.

We obtained our fish oil in this manner-wo hung a puku-mango up to a tree for a long time until the liver within it became decomposed. The puku was tied with flax in such a manner as allowed the oil to run into a calabash placed beneath it.

Another oil was obtained from the titoki berries and yet another from the kohia (a climbing plant). The titoki berries were bruised and placed in a wooden vessel carefully made and called a kopa whaka whiri titoki. They were then boiled by means of hot stones being placed in the water. The whole was then stirred and the oil allowed to run out of one end of the kopa. Some sweet-scented piri-piri or raukawa was then obtained and used to make the oil fragrant. If leaves of the heketara and kopuru and certain herbs were used for this purpose, they were bruised and their odour was then quite powerful and could be detected afar off.

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Kokowai.—This was collected in certain streams and made into cakes or balls which were placed on a large fire and baked. Those that became well baked were termed whatu-maoa and those that did not turn out well were called tukurua. The poipoi kokowai were then collected in fine baskets and considered a great treasure by the Maori. Should a man desire a kete horu (basket of ochre) he would give a tiki pounamu (greenstone neck ornamont) or a whakakai pounamu piko, or a paepaeroa, or a kahu waero for it—such were the possessions of chiefs in the days of old. At feasts and great meetings a little of the ochre would be taken in the hand and mixed with oil and then smeared on the body until no spot was left untouched. It was like unto the red paint of the white man. A basket of horu was indeed a treasure to the Maori of Aotearoa. But such things are no longer seen, for the old customs are forsaken for the new ones, the old traditions and history are cast aside, and I alone am left to speak of them.