152 



Hawaiian Nets and Netting. 



Nets, Upena. — As the second division of net work, fish nets and similar fabrics 

 for different uses come up for consideration. The material most preferred and used, 

 except where noted below, was olona spun into cord varying greatlv in thickness. 



The method of beginning a net is interesting, and has been shown to the writer 

 by fishermen on Oahu and Molokai. The native, having filled his shuttle from the 

 ball of twine without severing the line, takes another cord. Fig. 163 aa^ the ends of 

 which he ties together. Sitting on the ground with feet far apart, he inserts the first 

 toes into the ring and stretches it tightly-. The ball is passed under and over a a three 

 times towards the right, and the fri(?lion on the cords is sufficient to keep the line c taut 

 while closing the knots. Then the shuttle is passed around the gauge, over a «, under 

 ^, and c is drawn down by the shuttle cord to the gauge where the knot at h is made. 

 To begin the second and alternate knots the shuttle would of course pass under a a and 

 over c. Cord for the continuance of the loops is drawn from the ball by loosening the 

 windings around a a. When the knot (called ka, umii, etc.) slips properh' into place, 

 as at b and c/, the worker ejaculates kakiokolie with satisfa(R;ion, but if it misses the 

 loop, as at f, the word omauokole is uttered with disgusted tone. Sometimes, as the 

 work proceeds, two loops are by mistake enclosed by one knot, the name for which 

 is maiiac. 



In this division come the nac^ or netting which constitutes the groundwork of 

 feather garments,'*'* netted inalo^ bird net and the regular fish netting. 



Nae. — Nae is a netting of ver}^ fine mesh, varying in the Museum feather 

 garments from .05 to .27 inches. The twine is not as fine as the size of the mesh 

 might siiggest, averaging .025 inch in diameter, so that in some of the specimens the 

 *'E. P. B. Museum; Memoirs, vol. i, nos. i and 5. 



