Story: Energy supply and use

Muscle power

Muscle power

When no other source of power was available, human muscle power (and a little ingenuity) was used to move waka. Stout ropes plaited in five strands, as wide as a man’s wrist, and skids made from limber green timber both helped.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference: Elsdon Best, The Maori canoe. Wellington: Dominion Museum, 1925, p. 103-104

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How to cite this page:

Megan Cook, 'Energy supply and use - Energy before the 20th century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/23999/muscle-power (accessed 3 May 2024)

Story by Megan Cook, published 11 Mar 2010