Hawaiian Icic Baskets. 



63 



6589 

 FIG. 61. JCDCH OF BASKET NO. 6589. 



2 twists, 19 rounds; 2 twists, 17 rounds; 2 twists, 17 rounds on the bilge; 2 twists, 

 iS rounds; 2 twists, 12 rounds; 7 twists to centre. The cover rim has one rod and 

 the binding strip attaches it to the two succeeding twists, by the sixth and seventh 

 round some go over both twists, others over only one. Then come 12 rounds, 2 twists 

 on the edge of cover; 12 rounds, 2 twists; 14 rounds, 2 twists; 11 rounds, 2 twists; 



6 rounds, 4 twists to centre. The 

 label which came with this speci- 

 men reads as follows: "This was 

 originally the property of Mrs. Coan, 

 of Hilo, Hawaii, but it has been in 

 use in the family of Mrs. S. N. Castle, 

 of Honolulu, for over fifty-five years, 

 and is given b}- her to Mr. Brigham 

 for the Bishop Museum." 



No. 6942. Diameter at bilge 

 iS in., at rim 12 in., height (without cover) 9.5 in. The rim is composed of five small 

 rods bound and attached in a way similar to those in the two preceeding specimens, 

 but with less regularity. The sequence is 2 twists, 10 rounds; 2 twists, 20 rounds; 

 2 twists, 15 rounds; 2 twists, 15 rounds on the bilge; 2 twists, 13 rounds; 2 twists, 

 15 rounds; 3 twists, 11 rounds; 8 twists to centre; no cover extant. The outside has 

 been painted all over a lead color, but the inside is fresh and unstained. Specimen 

 from the curious old stone house at Kailua, Hawaii, built by Reverend Asa Thurston 

 (arrived 1820), and was used by the Thiirston family there and elsewhere for .sevent}'- 

 five years. 



These three are the only surviving specimens belonging to this class of ieie 

 baskets that are known to the writer. The length of time these have been in use is 

 remarkable, and shows the great strength and durability of the material. The three 

 are of the same general pattern, and might have been made by the same hand; the 

 perfection of the work seems to show that there must have been many made before 

 such skill could have been acquired. 



The next class comprises the fine baskets woven over wooden umeke or gourd 

 calabashes or bottles, and several very fine specimens are in the Bishop Museum. 

 Exaftly how these were made I cannot say, and the technic must be gathered from the 

 specimens, for in the early daj-s of m^- explorations on this group I never saw an}- 

 such baskets, and have not been able to learn much about them from the present gen- 

 eration of natives. It seems to have been the only basket figured and noticed by the 

 early explorers, and Freycinet makes a curious mistake in the material used. It seems 

 worth while to quote his account : 



