76 



Art. VII. —A. jVJatsumiua : 



Such instances may be infinitely multiplied, accounting for the 

 presence of men even on otherwise uninhabited islands, Grantino- 

 their skill in navigation, winds and waves will always be dreaded 

 by the islanders who naturally try to overcome them, at least 

 partially. And the inhabitants of the Marshall group are quite 

 advanced in this respect. They make charts for themselves, by 

 the aid of which they know the position of small islands and in 

 which even the direction of swells are indicated, all for the safety 

 of their navigation. The making of such charts must, indeed, bo 

 regarded as showing much progress. 



However, the charts just mentioned are simply lattice-frames 

 made up of leafstalks of coconut palm(?), which are cut smooth, 

 each 10 mm. broad and 5 mm. thick. Different parts of the lattice- 

 frame are tied fast with pieces of tlie bark of trees, and shells 

 are attached here and there to represent the atolls. The curved 

 stems indicate swells, while most of the straight ones serve as 



supports for the whole 

 frame. The charts are 

 of different sizes ; some 

 are 1-00 by 0-50 m., 

 wliile others ;ire 1-50 m. 

 in length. 



Even in the West 

 there are not many 

 museums and similar 

 institutions which pos- 

 sess these charts, and 

 there are only a few 

 publications dealing 



Fig. 28.— Chart from Jaluit. with the SUbjCCt. The 



