stout timbers is the mainstay of the entire fabric, they stream, the direction in which the fish is travelling. take the thrust of ahuge flow of rushing water. On one How is the wily piharau to be persuaded to turn back occasion the writer saw 6ft of rolling waters flowing on his course and enter the trap? Parawhenua, the over that part of the river-bed. Strength is needed to daughter of the sun-god Tane, she who personifies enable a weir to stand up under such an assault. the flowing waters, will attend to that. On the upper side of the weir fence are flxed It will readily be seen that, blocked by the pawai backstay struts of lighter nature than the noko. These of the weir, the baffled waters of the freshet surge kumekume as they are called, have one end lashed through the ngutu openings with much force. It is to the fence-posts about 3 ft from the ground, while this rush of swift waters that serves to trap the lam- the other end, upstream, is lashed to one of the fl.o,ly preys. In this wise: A little distance below and im- driven pegs securing the whariki or scour mat. mediately opposite to the opening, two stout stakes Being flrmly secured at both ends, these hold- are driven flrmly into the river-bed in an upright po- ing-braces assist in strengthening the fence. The sition. These are represented by BB in the diagram, name kumekume is derived from kume (to pull). while A is the ngutu, or opening in the weir. In this case the scour-mat (whariki and wha- The poha, or guiding-net, is a funnel-shaped net, kareinga) extended some 25 the mouth of which is distend- ft up-stream from the weir- ed by a stout hoop to which it fence, and about 6ft from it is secured. This hoop is se- downstream. In some weirs cured to the upright stakes, the it extends much farther down- small end being downstream stream, the distance depending (see C on diagram). The hi- upon the likelihood of scour in naki, or trap-pot, is secured to the riverbed. the lower end of the guiding- The scour-mat itself net, and is marked D. consists of manuka brush of The small lowerendof the straight growth laid down on net is placed within the conical Te Kehu (left) and Tau Tamakehu lash the top the riverbed in a laye1 as far entrance ofthe pot, and so any rail of the fence with split kareao. out as the kaiau, or outermost f,sh passing through the net post of the weir-fence. The men hold the old native ta or maul used to must enter the pot trap. Now, Across this mat of close- build the lamprey weir. when the lampreys encoun- laid brush are laid several ter the weir fence they seek a rows of poles, called in this place to pass through it and so connection karapi, which are continue their way up-stream. pinned down by several series Coming to a ngutu, they of crossed pegs driven flrmly endeavour to pass up through into the riverbed in the form of it, but the strong rush of water an X, so as to ride the karapi, throws them back and forces the latter being also lashed to them down the tunnel net into the pegs. the waiting pot trap. From this In the 25ft wharlki there place there is no return to the are flve series of these pegs to world of life, the life-history each karapi. In this weir the bottom rail of the weir- of the trapped lamprey ends with great abruptness. fence is about 18in above the whariki, and the upper The hinaki, or pot traps, employed in taking rail about 3ft above the lower one. The brush worked lampreys are not so large as the majority of eel-pots. into the fence is called the pawai. In the Whanganui district they are made of the long, In this weir are flve ngutu, or openings. It is at tough, and durable aka kiekie, or aerial rootlets ofthe these openings that the nets and pots are set in which kiekie, a forest climbing-plant (Freycinetia Banksii). the lampreys are caught. These slim, pliant roots are stripped of their outer We will now endeavour to catch some of those bark covering by being drawn through between the piharau, a dish highly pizedby the gourmands of Te tightly compressed halves of a split supplejack (Rhi- Awa nui a Rua. In setting pots to take eels coming pogonum scandens). downstream we have a simple task to perform. To They are then split down the middle with mar- catch the lamprey going downstream is by no means vellous exactitude. Two of these lamprey-pots mea- so easy. We cannot set pot and net on the upper side sured were 28in in length. The whiti, or hoops that of the weir facing downstream, several natural laws form the body of these trap-pots, are pliant stems of interfere with such a method. climbing or creeping plants, notably those of aka-tea These appurtenances must be set facing up- (Metrosideros scandens) and aka torotoro. WHANGANUT R[\ER ANNUAT - Pase 33 Sports rivalry added to social W on Whanganui River Every village and pa had a rugby football team. Bv Eruc FIsHsR In the years l92O to 1923 than the name. their respective associations alsc rugby football became a great After considerable discus sion took the name of Te Wainui-a- winter sport. Every village and by the old folk, both Maori and rua. After this the name gradualli pa had a football team, even the Pakeha, several names were came into general use and the Mangapurua soldiers' settlement suggested. Finally Mr Gregor old tribal name iust faded awa). had one in those early days. McGregor (who was the first and the Whanganui River people Matches were played with each manager of Morikau farm and became known as the "Te Wainui- other in friendly games. These who had been elected president a-rua Tribe." were usually followed by being of the sub-union) put forward the Over the years the name o: entertained by the host team to tea name of Te Wainui-a-rua. Te Wainui-a-rua has spread in ar. and a dance in their hall. Mr McGregor was a promi- easterly direction from the river These meetings became very nent Maori linguist and historian, towards Karioi, and we no\\ popular and added to the social so he gave his reasons for his find various other organisations. life of the Whanganui River in choice, and the interpretation of such as Maori Women's Welfare the days when the only means the name. After a short delibera- League, Jaycees, and the Anglicar: of transportation was by river tion, the elders all agreed, thus the Maori Pastorate with the title oi steamer, motor canoe, horse Te Wainui-a-nJa. or on foot. Before 1923 all the In 1923 it was decided above area originally bore to co-ordinate their activities, the name of Te Atihau-nui- so a meeting of various a-Paparangi and during the representatives of proposed few years prior to 1970 thi. clubs was held at Jerusalem. name was again revived b1 This inaugural meeting was the Maori people of the area. also attended by young and The intelpretation of old from the various pa. After the name Te Wainui-a-rua is discussion, it was decided not recorded, though mani to form a rugby football The Mangapurua rugby teamwhich played versions have been given. It union as a sub-union of the against sides from Ruatiti, Retaruke and probably relates to history of Whanganui union of teams Pipiriki. An article in the 1992 Annual the river many generations from the river. quoted settler Jack Ward about how the ago. After the formation Mangapurua team was formed. of the union, a name was Editor's footnote: This required to designate the sub- name of Te Wainui-a-Rua Rugby article is from the iournal of the union. The young people left this Sub-union was officially adopted. Whanganui Historical Society ir: decision to the elders, as they were Later, basketball (netball) May 1971. more concerned with the game and tennis teams were formed and By 1935, Hat,^ic[< Riv.n Sewices wor fi^di^g things diffic"lt as \eere v^a^y lrctnspofi sernvices' i'' ctdvefiisermenl of ihat date =howr thcri the sewice tc, Pipi,^iki hod d..li^.d +o o w..V.^d sewice, ll.'e .horg. was $4,5o, including o..or , ..dation, C)^ S^^dcy. o^d holidc,ys, ct slectmer l.f+ fon Raor"iki.- ctdver,tised crr Who^g c^nrni's new picnic g,^o^^d. ()n. alw.tys +hinks of +h. Aver slectwters going up rtt'ive' buri at thi= +i^. lhey were ctoincz dow^ t'iver fo S.:*ih B.o.h. Ih. fon. was 1Oc fo,^ cldrl+t relurnl or 5: fon.hildrc^, Wh.^ *he c,,ir,pov'l wcrs opeiled, +h. sleame.rs conv.y.d +he p^6lic rf Who^gonLai io 5o.,-" Ber^ch to witness the ai,^ pctgeant, The et"eclion of Cobha,^ BAdge- slopged Avet' lmffic sou,th of +l'.= 6Adge.. Page 52 - wru.NcANUl RIvERANNUAL N r&exeds' Kr^rps rrc XSXX Boat & barbie outing another winner Bv Pen Krrsou February L2 20ll was a flne, warm, windless the city about 9 45pm. We turned around by the Ciq.