Mr. Elsdon Best, speaking in his Forest Lore of bird-spears, says “seldom were greenstone points used, they were very rare.”
Figure 9Figure 9 shews an implement which is possibly the point of a bird-spear.
There is a tradition of one that belonged to Tamatea-kai-taharua, who flourished about 250 years ago. It is said that one day when hunting he speared a pigeon, and the point becoming detached from his weapon the bird flew away with it sticking in its body. The agile hunter is said to have followed the wounded pigeon for fifty miles before he recovered his tara pounamu; and men still point to Tara Pounamu hill, so named in memory of the event, as proof of the truth of the tale.
Other implements such as wedges, cutting tools, circular knives, rasps with worn edges that have been used in sawing blocks of stone, burnishers and even needles, are to be seen in museums among collections of articles made of this wonderful stone.
