156 



The Ancient Hazvauan House. 



tion, in a few 3'ears useless, if the appointed time be not already passed, we are com- 

 pelled to base our judgment on the colledlions in museums. From these sources, with 

 the extensive material of the Bishop Museum at hand, and beautiful photographs of the 

 Salem Museum, and other great collections before us, we feel justified in placing the wa.- 

 known Hawaiian carver of umeke high among the departed artists of the Pacific region, 

 and so far as illustrations go, the reader can see the quality of their work for himself. 

 They not onl}' excelled in form, which is unfortunately the only quality we can 

 present to our readers in the illustration, but tliej' worked in wood of most agreeable 



FIG. 137. UMEKE NU. 41; 



\1':kv 01, 1). 



colors and markings and capable of a most exquisite polish : the latter qualit}' was one 

 not present to the old Hawaiians, who attained a fine, smooth finish in the manner to 

 be described later, but never the glassy polish dear to many colledlors of this ware, 

 and which, although an anachronism it must be confessed displays the beautiful mark- 

 ings of the wood perfedlly. 



Among the woods most commonly used was the koti i^Cordia subcordata) a littoral 

 tree of large growth and spreading habit, found as fai south of the equator as Madagas- 

 car, and formerly planted near the native houses along the beach for its grateful shade, 

 but seldom seen now, owing to the ravages of a small moth Azmis hilarella^ Elhmia 

 colorella W. It is almost extinct on this group. The opinion of some botanists is that 



[340! 



