io8 



Hcnvaiiaii Ncis and Netting. 



third of its length has been cut down, leaving a shonlder, and tapered to a blunt point 

 (Fig. 103, a). There are two specimens in a loan colle(5lion in the Museum which are 

 exceptional, having the Initt (i\\\\ one-third the total length (Fig. 103, b). To fill this 

 style of needle, two half hitches were passed around the tapered end and a loop made 

 around the fingers of the hand holding the tool, as shown in the same figure. For very 

 fine nets a iiiao^ piece of the midrib of a coconut leaf, was substituted for this form. 



In making the large-meshed, coarse nets for sharks or turtle, neither shuttle 

 nor mesh stick was generall}' resorted to. The cord was wound over the hand and 

 elbow for several turns, the hank thus formed doubled and wound with the rest of the 

 cord until a pear-shaped ball was made. The cord could then be drawn from the in- 

 side through the point of 



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FTC. IU:l. NKT-MKNDERS. 



the ball, which retained its 

 shape until expended. The 

 cord in this form took the 

 place of a shuttle, while the 

 spacing was roughly done 

 by the hand. A similar 

 winding, but more spheri- 

 cal, was in vogue for the 

 fishing lines. 



For fastening two nets together temporarily, there was a needle of bone or wood 

 with an eye towards the end. The needle and line were merely run through the op- 

 posing meshes and the nets thus drawn together. A similar needle was also used for 

 sewing the top sheet of kapa to those beneath. Frequently when fishing it was neces- 

 sary to join two nets below the water, for which purpose this needle or the net-mender 

 was requisitioned, but native fishermen have told the writer that the quickest and 

 simplest way was to dive down and tie the ends with split stems of the /'/leaf {^Cordy- 

 litie tcrniiiialis). 



In Fig. 102 are shown three specimens, Nos. 176, 5177 and 5178, which certainly 

 do not owe their origin to Hawaiian hands. The native mind is a peculiar one in re- 

 gard to specimens of former arts. An}' implement a man in his childhood had 

 seen his father use is looked upon in later 3'ears as very ancient indeed, and is honestly 

 believed b\' him to have belonged in succession to his forbears far down in the misty 

 flights of time. This impression of the writer was not entirely gathered from observa- 

 tion of the natives bringing specimens for sale to the Museum. When articles were 

 so offered, the natives almost alwaj'S claimed that such were used by or in the posses- 

 sion of Kamehameha the Great, with the mistaken idea of securing a higher price. 



