638 Fornandcr Collection of Hazvaiian Folk-lore. 



The following is the way of procurino- wauke: before Christianity was broueht 

 here, and the goods of the foreigners were obtained, the things which a person used in 

 supplying his needs, he used to get a bambu and split it. Then he would look for good 

 banibu knives, sharp when used for cutting. Or else, he looked for a sharp pahoa 

 stone that could be used for cutting. Then he went up to where the wauke grew and 

 cut it with the stone adze which he made or with the banibu, until he had enough, at 

 the same time strijjping them. Because when cutting the lower part, the part near 

 the bottom, it is cut completely around through the bark to the wood; the bark is easily 

 pulled off: this is continued until sufficient has been secured according to one's desire. 

 Then he stopped cutting. He next trimmed oif the outside bark, and when that was 

 done it was sorted in etjual lengths and set properly in a pile. When sufficient was 

 piled for a bundle which could be carried on the back it was securely fastened, and one 

 would return home. On reaching the house it [the wauke] was left in the water until 

 soft; after six days, eight days, ten days or perhaps twent_v days, it was taken out of 

 the water. 



THE BEATING PROCESS. 



For the process of Ideating the kapa these things are prepared: i. The block 

 on which to do the beating: the proper wood from which to obtain this block, kaitivila,'' 

 kawaii,'' oliia.' mainanef those and other woods of a similar nature which are suitable 

 for that purpose. There is a kapu attached to the manner of getting them. The man- 

 ner of acquiring these trees enumerated above is like that of obtaining the 0-0: with 

 praver ofiferings to the gods of this industry. We were told that before. This block" 

 is made broad and flat on top and the two ends are made thus : the top one is length- 

 ened and the under one is shortened. 



2. The i-e (club).'" The woods from \\hicli to obtain this club are the ohia. 

 koaie. kcucaii and other woods suitable for that pvu'pose. 



3. The water for sprinkling so that the wauke is kept wet continuallv. The first 

 club to use in beating is the one for hard pounding, a coarse-figured club; after that is 

 the iekike. the dividing club, a smaller-figured club: then comes the printing club and 

 the finishing club. The ka])a is then cut. It is next taken to soak in water; on return- 

 ing it is spread to dry at a place prepared for drying it, that is the drying ground ; there 

 it is [spread out] and pressed down with rocks placed here and there so that the pa-u" 

 would not wrinkle. This is continued until the pa-u is dry. And this is done until 

 there are five kapa ; they are then sewn together. That is called a set of kapa. 



4. If paiiila^'- is wanted, then some ///'/;' is obtained — that is the bark of the kukui. 

 On returning from the mountain it is pounded and is left to soften. When the kapa 



■Kamvila (Alfhitonia j'tindcrosu), a hard, close- lowed, and emits a resonant sound in use, the ends 



grained, licavy wood. being placed on stones. It is said that ownership of 



"Kawau (Byronia Saiiihcicciisis) the preferred kapa- kapa blocks, kua kttkn, were proved by their tone, 



log for its sounding qualities. "The clubs, or kapa beaters, were of round and of 



'Ohia (Metrosidcros pol\inorph,i) , one of the com- four-sided forms, the former with or without longi- 



nionest of Hawaiian forest' trees. tudinal grooves, the latter grooved or carved ni vari- 



'Mamane (Sofliora clirysnfliytia), another Iiard, du- 



ous patterns. These were of the heaviest woods. 



table wood. "Pa-u or skirt. The same applied to kapa spreads. 



"The face of a kapa log or block is slightly convex, "-'Paiula is said to be a kapa into which particles of 



not perfectly flat. The under part is shorter and hoi- red kapa are beaten with the new. 



