STONE CUPS. 



57 



pecially pleasing to the Polynesian race and produced by the Samoans in the sii'a dance 

 by placing the hand in the opposite armpit. It is probably to this curious use that we 

 must attribute their application in the rude surgerj^ of the Hawaiian kahuna lapaatt 

 as blistering cups. The other use was far more weird, and in spite of their peaceable 

 and harmless appearance thej- must be placed in the category of deadly weapons. 



FIG. 56. HAWAIIAN STONK CUPS. 



Perhaps in the quiet little row shown in Fig. 57 there is not a cup that has not caused 

 the death of one or more Hawaiians. The strange process of "praying to death, pule 

 auaaua'" will be fully described in a later chapter, but in one of the methods it sufficed 

 to collect a few hairs, nail parings or some spittle of tlie intended vidlim, burn these 

 exuvicc with suitable pra3-ers in the innocent-looking cup {kapualii kuui anaaiia) and 

 then scatter the ashes in the water he was accustomed to drink. If this last part was 

 impracflicable, the kahuna anaana performed the previous part of the rite and then took 



[389] 



