114 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Island of Earotoki, or Earotonga, which tradition states was 

 named after a Earotonga of the olden time far away in the 

 Pacific. It has always been regarded as a sacred island, and 

 from time to time numbers of curious specimens have been 

 found on the sandhills and the sites of old dwellings. The 

 European name of the island is Centre Island. 



The specimen which, by the kindness of Mr. Dunlop, the 

 manager of the Orepuki Shale-oil Works, I am permitted to 

 describe was ploughed up by a farmer a few years ago. It is 

 made of a dark-coloured slaty stone, and has been carefully 

 worked into the shape of the handle and guard of a dagger or 

 small sword, and then covered with elaborate carvings in low 

 relief. Unfortunately, it has been much damaged, a large frag- 

 ment being split off from each side. Fortunately, however, the 

 portions destroyed are recoverable by comparing the opposite 

 sides, as the design is repeated as nearly as possible on each 

 side, so that the whole of the design intended to be repre- 

 sented can be recovered. It measures about 92 mm. in length 

 and 66 mm. in width. It is thus too small to be used as a 

 dagger or weapon of offence, though the shape at once sug- 

 gests such a purpose. The cross hilt is recurved with a fine 

 bold sweep, and the general outline is well proportioned and 

 elegant. There is also a large hole drilled near the butt, which 

 has been bored from each side by a Polynesian drill somewhat 

 unsteady in its action. Beyond the butt or handle and the 

 cross-piece where the blade of a sword or dagger would come 

 is the fragment of a shaft, circular in section, 20 mm. in dia- 

 meter. It is, of course, impossible to say what length this part 

 was originally- — certainly not more than 6 in., probably less. 

 It is also uncertain whether it preserved the same diameter or 

 whether it tapered. There is no indication of tapering on the 

 fragment remaining. The form of the cross-piece has been 

 attained by drilling out a hole on each side of the haft. 



Curious as the shape is, the ornamentation with which the 

 stone is covered is still more interesting. The design is 

 formed by cutting out portions of the surface, leaving the lines 

 of the design in low relief. The chief figure is best seen by 

 placing the hole, which is evidently made for the purpose of 

 suspending the object, uppermost. It will then be noticed 

 that the edge of the hole is bordered by a line which projects 

 vertically at the top and which is joined at the bottom to 

 another line forming part of the margin of a lozenge- or kite- 

 shaped face. The line of the face is continued parallel with 

 the first to the top of the hole and stops against the vertical 

 line ; above this second line is a third which only comes half- 

 way down and then merges into the ornamentation of the 

 sides. The inner line is carefully notched at short intervals. 

 I take these three lines to represent the frame of a feather 



