Etlinogrnjiliy of Micronesia. 



41 



the fabric used for coats is often plain, and much longer. The 

 islanders sometimes make mosquito nets with several pieces of 

 material woven from fibres .of the hibiscus tree. 



In Ponapé also, a certain kind of fabric is produced to supply 

 the waist-cloth for women. But in this island the material is 

 obtained from the bark (^f the ficoid tree which resembles the 

 banyan. This fabric is also used to make the narrow girdle for 

 men. Besides the material from the ficoid tree, the übre of 

 banana is often em}.)loyed.^ 



The Ijands woven by the women of Kusaie are of banana 

 fibres. The primitive loom and process of weaving are given in 

 Fig. 13. These luinds are about 50 nnn. w^ide and 85 cm. long, 

 having figures woven with threads of various colours, such as red- 



Fig. 14. — Eu^aimi belts. 



brown, yellow, black, rich blue, brown and red (Fig. 14). Of these 

 colours, tlie rich blue tint is made from tlie sap of young banana- 

 suckers, the yellow from the root of turmeric, and the black from 



• F. W. Christian, "The Carolina Islands,' pp. 122-121. 



