428 THE TANNA SPEAR-BECKET, 



Tanna, which I send you It appears that the use or 



knowledge of the becket was confined to the islands south of Efate, 

 that is, Erromanga, Tanna, Aneiteuni, Futuna, and Aniwa." 



In the first place, this Tanna becket is of much simpler con- 

 struction than that illustrated by Mr. Turner, in that it has no 

 " tags " or " collar," and the knot is a very simple one. In its 

 simpler construction it resembles the Aneiteum example lent to 

 me by Mr. Lawrie, as well as two of those from the Cook Collection, 

 that I assumed to be New Caledonian, but in the light of the 

 present specimen may be from Tanna or Aneiteum, bearing in 

 mind that Cook called at the former island. In the second place, 

 it will be noted that Dr. Macdonald says the Spear-becket is not 

 known on Efate, but against this I may refer to one of the 

 quotations given in my previous paper. I there stated that in 

 Mr. J. E. Erskine's work, "Journal of a Cruise amongst the 

 Islands of the Western Pacific,"* occurs the following passage 

 relative to Efate : — " From a village ... a canOe pushed off 

 to intercept us as we were working in, one of the three men 

 occupying it handing up a becket of plaited cord, such as we had 

 seen in the hands of the Tannese for throwing their spears." It 

 seems, therefore, from this discrepancy of statement that further 

 investigation is required as to the use of the becket on Efate. 



The Tanna implement forwarded by Dr. Macdonald on behalf 

 of the Rev. W. Watt is a large one, eleven inches long, and 

 apparentl}' made of strips of a palm spathe, exceedingly well 

 plaited in three strands, forming a round cord. The palm spathe 

 used is possibly that of an Areca. The eye of the cord is made 

 in a precisely similar manner to those already described, but the 

 plaiting of the eye is more elaborate than that of the cord proper. 

 The free ends are not gathered into tags, but left frayed out, and 

 are secured to the standing part of the cord by a thimble of sj^un- 

 yarn wound round, in which the smell of the tar is still faintly, 

 although distinctly perceptible. 



I am again indebted to Mr. Hedley's kindness for the drawing- 

 accompanying these notes. 



* 1853, p. 3-23. 



