Austral English Part 267

It is also called Prince of Wales' feather.

1843. `An Ordinance for imposing a tax on Raupo Houses, Session II. No. xvii. of the former Legislative Council of New Zealand':

[From A. Domett's collection of Ordinances, 1850.]

"Section 2... . there shall be levied in respect of every building constructed wholly or in part of raupo, nikau, toitoi, wiwi kakaho, straw or thatch of any description [ ... L20]."

1849. C. Hursthouse, `Settlement of New Plymouth,' p. 13:

"A species of tall gra.s.s called `toetoe.'"

1861. C. C. Bowen, `Poems,' p. 57:

"High o'er them all the toi waved, To grace that savage ground."

1867. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 110:

"Thatching it with tohi, or swamp-gra.s.s."

1892. `The Katipo,' Jan. i. [sic] p. 3 [description of the t.i.tle-cut]:

"The toi toi and Phorinium tenax in the corners are New Zealand emblems."

1895. `Otago Witness,' Dec. 19, p. 6, col. 3:

"Where Christmas lilies wave and blow, Where the fan-tails tumbling glance, And plumed toi-toi heads the dance."

Tohora, n. Maori name for a whale.

1855. Rev. R. Taylor, `Te Ika a Maui,' p. 136:

"Fable of the Kauri (pine-tree) and Tohora (whale)."

1878. W. Colenso, `Transactions of New Zealand Inst.i.tute,'

vol. xi. art. iv. pt. 2, p. 90:

"Looking at it as it lay extended, it resembled a very large whale (nui tohora)."

1883. J. Hector, `Handbook of New Zealand,' p. 21:

"In the open sea, and to the south, the most prized whale next to the sperm is the black whale, or tohora (Eubalaena Australis), which is like the right whale of the North Sea, but with baleen of less value."

Tohunga, n. Maori word for a wise man.

"Perhaps from Maori verb tohu, to think." (Tregear's `Polynesian Dictionary.') Tohu, a sign or omen; hence Tohunga, a dealer in omens, an augur.

1872. A. Domett, `Ranolf and Amohia,' p. 102:

"But he whose grief was most sincere The news of that unwonted death to hear, Was Kangapo, the Tohunga--a Priest And fell Magician famous far and near."

1873. `Appendix to Journals of House of Representatives,'

G. 1, B. p. 9:

"I am a tohunga who can save the country if you will follow my advice."

1878. F. E. Maning, `Heke's War, told by an Old Chief,'

`New Zealand Reader,' p. 153:

"Amongst these soldiers there was not one tohunga--not a man at all experienced in omens--or they must have had some warning that danger and defeat were near."

1893. `Otago Witness,' Dec. 21, p. 10, col. 2:

"She would consult a tohunga. The man she selected-- one of the oldest and most sacred of the Maori priests, prophet, medicine-man, lawyer and judge."

Tolmer's Gra.s.s, n. a fibrous plant, Lepidosperma gladiatum, Labill., N.O. Cyperaceae, suitable for manufacture of paper. It is not a true gra.s.s, and is cla.s.sed by Maiden (`Useful Native Plants,' p. 626) under fibres.

1882. A. Tolmer, `Reminiscences,' p. 298:

"The plant that has since by courtesy borne my name (Tolmer's gra.s.s)."

Tomahawk, n. a word of North-American Indian origin, applied in English to the similarly shaped short one-handed axe or hatchet. The word is not frequent in England, but in Australia the word hatchet has practically disappeared, and the word Tomahawk to describe it is in every-day use. It is also applied to the stone hatchet of the Aboriginals. A popular corruption of it is Tommy-axe.

1802. G. Barrington, `History of New South Wales,' c. xii.

p. 466:

"A plentiful a.s.sortment of ... knives, shirts, toma-hawkes [sic], axes, jackets, scissars [sic], etc., etc., for the people in general."

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 259:

"We ... observed recent marks of the stone tomahawk of the natives."

1851. G. W. Rusden, `Moyarra,' canto i. 17, p. 25:

"One hand he wreathed in Mytah's hair, Whirled then the tomahawk in air."

1870. E. B. Kennedy, `Fours /sic/ Years in Queensland,' p. 721:

"They [the Aboriginals] cut out opossums from a tree or sugar bag (wild honey) by means of a tomahawk of green stone; the handle is formed of a vine, and fixed in its place with gum.

It is astonishing what a quant.i.ty of work is got through in the day with these blunt tomahawks."

1873. J. B. Stephens, `Black Gin,' p. 60:

"Lay aside thy spears (I doubt them); Lay aside thy tomahawk."

1880. Fison and Howitt, `Kamilaroi and Kurnai,' p. 206:

"The aborigines have obtained iron tomahawks."

1880. G. Sutherland, `Tales of Goldfields,' p. 73: