Ethnography of Micronesia. 121 



and they often have a spear-thrower or shng hanging from these 



bracelets.^ 



As ah-eady noted, nearly all the bracelets 

 found in Palau are of shell rings. There are. 

 however, some natives who wear a series oi 

 flat rings of tortoise shell, which are strung on 



Fig. 46 — Bracelet made 



threads through three holes in each of them, ^^ ^^^^^..^ si^^ii, Yap. 



the bracelet thus made being cyhndrical in 

 form. Some of these bracelets are said to consist of no less than 

 sixty-four rings totaUing 17 cm. in length.^ Both, shell bracelets 

 and tortoise-shell ones, are worn by women only. 



Though the men of Palau do not usually wear bracelets, some 

 of them have armlets, which are made of the atlas of the dugong 

 (Halicore dugong). These armlets, which are called the '' Order of 

 the Bonc"-^ by Captain Wilson, serve as a symbol of rank, for 

 they are worn by chiefs and other men of influence. There may, 

 of course, be more beautiful materials, but the bone of the dugong 

 became valuable, probably because it is difficult to secure it. It 

 may be supposed that, at first, the " Order of the Bone" was con- 

 ferred on a brave man who caught a dugong. In putting on the 

 armlet, sometimes the hands or fingers are hurt (PL XXV). 



Captain Wüson, wdio was the recipient of a warm reception 

 at the hands of the natives while he was in Palau, was nominated 



■ a chief of the first rank on his departure. As a testimony of the 

 nomination, the Captain was granted the " Order of the Bone," 



1 G. Turner, "Samoa," p. 311. 



2 J. S. Kubary, "Ethnographische Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Karolinen Archipels," p. 184 

 Taf. XXI[, fig. 14. 



3 We find an account of the armlet of the dugong at page 217 of Ratzel's " The History 

 of Mankind," Vol. I, with the explanation "Semper calls it the Order of the Bone." This ap- 

 pellation, however, was already used by Captain Wilson, 130 years ago (cf. G. Ke.ate, "The 

 Pelew Islands," p. 296). 



