DRESS AND ADORNMENT. 



797 



each skin was pierced by a weapon ; yet, viewed on the hairy side, 

 not a hole is visible, circular pieces of skin being " let in." Great 

 skill is shown in selecting these pieces, as the meerkat is extremely 

 variable. A professional kaross-m&ker takes two pieces of fur, 

 places them together, hairy sides in and edges just matching. 

 He repeatedly passes the long needle between the two pieces, so as 

 to press the hair downward and out of the way. He then bores a 



Fig. 8. Liku. South Sea Islands. 



few holes in a line with each other and passes a sinew fiber through 

 them, casting a single hitch over each hole but leaving the thread 

 loose. Two or three such holes being made and the thread passed 

 through, he draws it tight so as to produce a sort of lock-stitch, 

 perfectly safe and neat. Finally, he rubs down the seams so that 

 the edges lie as if one piece. The gray jackal is more prized than 

 the black ; though not so beautiful, it is more rare. One kaross, 

 five feet three inches deep by three feet wide, was made of several 

 skins. The skin is darkest along the back. The maker has here 

 selected skins and uses the darker ones for center and lets it fade 

 away toward the edges to give the effect of one large skin. Not 

 only so, but by careful cutting and piecing the effect was carried 

 out. All the heads are set in a row along the upper edge. The 

 lower edge is made from the skin of the paws very dark, in a 

 stripe four inches wide. In some karosses, two feet from the top 

 and on the outer edges, are small wings or projections, one foot 

 long by eight inches wide. These wrap around the shoulders and 

 arms. The kaross reaches the knees in front and a foot lower be- 

 hind and at the sides. The edge of the kaross is bound on the 

 inside with membrane band to add to its strength. This is made 

 from antelope-skin, rolled up and buried in the ground until partly 

 putrefied ; it is then split. The needles used are like skewers and 

 eyeless. The thread is of sinews the best of which are from the 



