MOKIHI GIVEN TO MUSEUM

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26328, 24 January 1951, Page 7

MOKIHI GIVEN TO MUSEUM

Maori Raft Canoe

WORK OF MEN IN SOUTH CANTERBURY A Maori raft canoe, or mokihi, haa been presented as a centennial gift to the Canterbury Museum. After going, into the headwaters of shingle riverg such as the Waitaki and Rakaia in search of greenstone, the Maoris used the mokihi, made by lashing together bundles of raupo, to travel swiftly downstream or to cross the river. When they had completed their journey they allowed the craft to float away out to sea.

The completion of the canoe in the museum is of particular interest in that the art of building these craft is fast dying out among the Maori people, and practically the only people in New Zealand who are lamiliar with their construction are a few members of the older generation at Glenavy and Temuka. Among these are Mr Pita Mr N 2. r J nan w aaka. and Mr ■£ e Wamaroa Though there are small models of the mokihi in existence, there is only one other full-size mokihf JP. the South Island. That is in the Otago Museum. The initiative in the building of the canoe was taken by Mr McCully, of Timaru and formerly of Peel Forest M*" McCuUy. has taken a great interest in the Maori history of South Canterbury and has been specially interested in the use of the mokihi for crossing and travelling down shingle rivers. It is Mr McCully's opinion that the ex--7“? a remains at the mouth of fn e «h Va M alc L ar< l birds captured in the Mackenzie Country and rafted down the river by mokihi. Mr MeCully and Mr Paipeta decided to build ? and present » to the Canter, bury Museum as a centennial gift. In their work the builders were guided oy a description of a mokihi contained in “The Southern Districts S i 2 urnal written by «rd Shortiand during 1843 and 1844 while he was employed in the service of the Colonial Government **o? &gfn’s a * ‘ protector ot th « Building of Canoe Shortland in early 1844 crossed from in ihT™ } he Waitaki river !? bank in a mokihi with the chief Huruhuru. who is also described in E. C. Studholme s "Te Waimate. Before the crossing Shortland sa n t JL e , craft beinK bul “- recalls that the Maoris "set to work like reapers in a field, cutting the raupo with tomahawks instead of s***®®: ♦ an< l out on the £^ d f tO u drv ’ J Tb >s was the mabe used in the canoe. Our mokihi was made in the form of a canoe.” he writes. “Three bundle? of Vaupo about 18 feet long and two feet in diameter at the middle, but tapering towards the extremities, were first constructed separately, each being tightly bound and secured with flaxi>nd were then fastened together so as to form a flat raft. Another bundle similarly made was next laid along the middle of this, and secured in that position forming a sort of ’ keel; the hollow intervals left between the keel and sides were filled un with raupo packed carefully and tightly in layers, and secured with bands of flax. The bottom of the mokihi being thus finished. it was turned over, and the smaller bundles were laid along its outer rim. from stem to stem, for topsides, and all the vacancies within were filled up with layers of raupo, tied down with flax.

"This sort of canoe is remarkably buoyant, and is admirably adapted to the perilous navigation of the immense torrent. Waitaki." writes Shortland.

Crossing Described Of the crossing he said:—“We soon found ourselves in the strength of the stream, carried along at a rate not less than six miles an hour, the water boiling up all round us. None but ■ practised hand could have steered such a craft through the various shoals we had to pass. The art. I learnt, was to distinguish and keep in the main channel of the river, where the water is always deep enough Once we went wrong, and touched on a shoal, which nearly caused our rolling over— the only danger to be feared. Huruhuru's son guided his small mokihi with the greatest ease, its light draught of water permitting it to pass through any ghannel. After we had thus been hurried along for about four miles, the main stream approached the north bank and we took advantage of an eddy to draw close to it. Here we landed, and encamped for the rest of the day.” The mokihi In which Shortland travelled was large enough to carry Huruhuru and his wife. Shortland, and two of his natives and their luggage. The canoe built bv Messrs McCully and Paipeta seems to be in almost every respect similar to that described by Shortland. It is almost 18 feet long and is about two feet six inches wide.