396 AVOYAGETO 



>777- that they pleafe, and roll it up in balls ; from which the 



July. ' ' 



larger ropes are made, by twifting feveral of ihefe together. 

 The lines, that they fifh with, are as ftrong and even as the 

 beft cord we make, refembling it almoft in every refpe(5t. 

 Their other fifhing implements, are large and Imall hooks. 

 The laft are compofed entirely of pearl-fliell ; but the firft 

 are only covered with it on the back; and the points of 

 both, commonly, of tortoifc-fliell ; thofe of the fmall be- 

 ing plain, and the others barbed. With the large ones, they 

 catch bonnetos and albicores, by putting them to a bamboo 

 rod, twelve or fourteen feet long, with a line of the fame 

 length, which refts in a notch of a piece of wood, fixed in 

 the flern of the canoe for that purpofe, and is dragged on 

 the furface of the fea, as flie rowes along, without any 

 other bait than a tuft of flaxy fluff near the point. They 

 have alfo great numbers of pretty fmall feines, fome of 

 which are of a very delicate texture. Thefe they ufe to 

 catch fifli with, in the holes on the reefs, when the tide 

 ebbs. 



The other manual employments, confift chiefly in making 

 mufical reeds, flutes, warlike weapons, and flools, or rather 

 pillows, to fleep on. The reeds have eight, nine, or ten 

 pieces placed parallel to each other, but not in any regular 

 progreflion ; having the longeft, fometimes, in the middle, 

 and feveral of the fame length ; fo that I have feen none 

 with more than fix notes -, and they feem incapable of play- 

 ing any muficon them, that is diftinguifliable by our ears*. 

 The flutes are a joint of bamboo, clofe at both ends, with a 

 hole near each, and four others ; two of which, and one of 

 the firfl: only, are ufed in playing. They apply the thumb 



* See a drawing of one of thefe mufical reed?, in Captain Cook's Voyage, Vol. i.- 

 p. 221. Plate XXI, 



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