MAORI MEASUREMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 6

MAORI MEASUREMENTS

SOME CURIOUS DEVICES . HOW THE NATIVES ACHIEVED PRECISION. It may be said that tho Maori possessed no precise system ol measurement, 'no recognised and univeisal standard of an immutable typo universally employed. by tho people (writes Mr. Elsdon Best in the "New Zealand Journal of Science and' Technology") Such a condition we should naturally expect to iind among an uncivilised folk in the Neolithic, place of culture. .Tlio various industries practised by the ■ Maori had not advanced to that pitch wherein a precise standard becomes absolutely necessary. The,aits 6f housebuilding, ■ canoe-making,. wood-carving, painting, "weaving, and l tattooing, as executed by. these Natives,; cortainly called for a considerable amount of precision, but ' actual measuring by means of a mechanical medium entered but little into such execution. The medium employed in attaining excellent results in these arts was tho eye of tho operator. Here we encounter an attribute of uncultured man—the keen "true" eye that-, so readily detects any irregularity or discrepancy. This faculty is oil a- par with others possessed by the Maori, as the powers of hearing and of smell, as also their remarkable sense and' rendering of time of vocal music.'• The .Maori achieved a regularity and precision by the use of the eye alone that woidd 1m unattainable by '•lie average European. They did remarkably good work without the assistance of a foot-rule.

' The standards of-measurement employed by the Maori may be termed personal ones: it may almost be said that every man was a standard unto himself, inasmuch as the _ human body and limbs were the mediums employed in- measuring. The uso of tlio rauru, or measuring-rod, hereinafter described, may possibly be looked upon as the first step in'the. fixing of a mechanical medium of measurement, although such a unit would be awkward on accpunt of its length. Had tlie evolution of a standard been carried further, then a reduction of the fathom unit must inevitably liavo taken place., In such crude systems, do we observe the origin of tlie methods of civilised communities. Primitive man seems to havo_ based his system of measurement on his own body and its parts very much as, in roanj. cases, he did his system of numeration. Hence, nmong Polynesians we have rima—the hand, and rima— five; a]so ringa—the hand, and ringa —a unit in measurement ; together with konui—the thumb, koiti—the littlo finger, and tuke—the elbow: nil used as terms in measuring. The following list includes such measurement terms .or units as wo liavo collccted from different tribes, but there are probably, other expressions and possibly other units still unknown to us: — Konui, or pona koiiui: The length of the first joint of the thumb. Koiti, or' Koroiti: Length of the little finger. Ringa: Width of the hand. Matikara, or lesser ' whanganga: Span of .outspread fingers from-thumb-tip to tip of little finger or middle iiiijjoi - . Awanui: Width of two hands- plus length of thumbs: hands open, fingers together, tips of outstretched thumbs together. Tuke, tuke ringa, or whntianga: The cubit. Length from elbow to fingertips. . .! -Pakihiwi, or tumu: Full length of arm, shoulder to finger-tips. Hau, or wahaiiga: The half maro. 'From middle of the .breast to the]Jin-

ger-tips; arm outstretched horizontally. Pakihiwi maro: Length of arm plus breadth across shoulders.. Maro, whanganga, or aronui: The fathom. Span of arms outstretched horizontally. Pae: Same span as tho maro, hut arms curved. Used in measuring tlio circumference of trees. Takoto: Length of body lying prone plus that of arm outstretched beyond tho head. Kumi: Ten maro or fathoms. Although some tribes may employ others terms, and possibly even some other -units, in regard to measuring, yet those given above afford a very fair illustration of the Maori system of measurement. The weakness of that system is discernible at a glance: the various units employed would differ in length according to the height, length of limb, etc., of tho individual. Hence, when engaged in any work necessitating measurement, those engaged at such labours often selected one person to perform all tasks of measuring connected with the undertaking. The writer is also, inclined to think that the discrepancies involved in such a system of measurement, with' their attendant'complications and confusion, may have led to the favour in'which the rauru, or measuring-rod, was held among thtf Takitumu tribes of the Bast Coast.

The takoto was a curious method of measuring, being, tho length of the body plus that, of tho arm extended straight up over the head. It was used in horizontal measurements, the operator lying down at full length with one arm extended past his head. He would mako a mark at the extremity of his reach, then got up and lio down again with his feet to that mark, and so on—surely a cumbrous mehtod of measuring. Captain 11. A. Cruise, of tho 84th Regiment, has given us an illustration of this motliod in his "Journal of a Ten Months' Residence in New Zealand," published in 1823., While his vessel was lying at the Bay of Islands, on April 27, 1820, several Natives visited the ship, including a Native of tho Marquesas Group, far away in eastern Polynesia. A chief from the North Capo district was one who boarded the vessel, and Captain Cruise remarks•. "He alone camo up the side; and, after gazing aboufe for some time, proceeded to measure tho ship from stem to_ stern. This he effected by prostrating himself upon the deck, and marking upon it tho distance between his feet and the extreme ends of his hands, which he extended as far beyond his head as he could, counting at the same time the number of nrostrations he had mado. When he'.had got the. length, he ascertained ill the same way tho breadth of the vessel was announced froni the poop to his astonished followers who sat in their canoes. ' -

_ In describing house-building oporntions a Maori would mention the name of tlio person whose nrm-span (wlianganga) was employed in the measurements of tlio house, as To aromii no mea tangata" (meaning tlio aronni was So-and-so's).' Tho arm-span of tliiß person would be marked on a cord or rod for measuring purposes. Some men—persons of importance, such as a chief—kept a permanent measuring-rod, with tlioir arm-span and other measurements, tlio liau, whatianga, etc., marked on it. This lie would use oil all occasions when such a tiling was required. Others would also borrow it, as when building a house. Such a measuring-rod was called a rauru on'the East Coast; and a person who borrowed' it would remark, "My. house was measured with tho rauru of So-and-so." - Tlio rod of a man of liigli rank would bo a prized item and much sought after, as 011 loan. The rauru 0 Kahu-iigunu (0 meaning of) was a famous one, handed down for many generations on tlio East Coast, and is said to have belonged to the ancestor of that namo who flourished about twenty generations ago. Such

rods were usually made of ake rautangi, a hard and durable timber. In some eases the marks on the rod were bordered with a carved design termed koropito, relieved with small pieces of bright-coloured haliotis shell countersunk in the wood, a proecss known as koroliwha and tiwha. Any person wishing to borrow such a rod would probably malco a present to the owner thereof prior to obtaining tho loan of it. "Na te ranrn o mea i tatai to wharo nci" ("By the rauru of So-and-so was the house measured.") No such rods are now in existence. It is certain, however, that the use. of such a rod was not only not universal, but also was perhaps confined to the East Coast or a portion of that district.