148 



Alt. VU. — A. Mfi'siimura : 



liecome the more valuable, forming indispensable data for the study 

 of past customs and manners. While in Palau we received from 

 the Aybathul, a chief of the first rank in the islands, a part of a 

 cross-beam some 2*70 m. in length, of the chiefs' club-house, 

 which present we brought homo. This cross-beam is shown in 

 PI. XXXV, and has four sides, three of which are carved. 



Fig. 66.— Pliotographic reproduction ol: tue rubbing of a, jiaii "t tin- carving 



Fig. 66 is a photographic reproduction of the rubbing made 

 from the carving on a beam of a club-house (PI. XXX, fig. 2). 

 The carving represents a mythological tradition current among the 

 natives, concerning the origin of bread-fruit. In order to obtain 

 food, so says the tradition, the islanders used to cut boughs of 

 large trees, with the axe. Then, the fish, which liad gone up 

 inside the trees, came springing out of the cut ends. This, 

 however, iiflicted intolerable pain upon the trees, causing them 

 to weep, so the natives, who could no longer continue the cruel 

 practice, prayed to the god for anotlior means of getting their 

 food. The god granted their prayer. Now the fish became 

 bread-fiuit instead of the fish which originally passed through 

 the tree, and continues to form the staple food of the natives. 

 In Fig. 66, the figure in the center of the carving represents a 

 tree, and the figure to the left a man cutting the bough, while 

 the carvino; behind the man indicate the fish entering the tree. 



