CORDON OF KAUMUALII DESCRIBED. 



35 



edges is attached by frequent cords a lei of oo feathers increasing tlie width of the cordon 

 to six inches. The chief end which is to hang in front is thickened and weighted by 

 the insertion of three rows of human teeth (of conquered enemies?), the rows being 

 separated by the insertion of the Httle bundles of fish teeth already mentioned and to 

 be more fully described later. All the teeth are included from incisor to molar and 

 drilled and firmly attached to the net; the different sizes cause different numbers in the 

 rows, so the first row of small teeth has 17, the second 15 of larger size and the third 

 row has now 13, two are missing leaving 45 at present; the arrangement is clearly shown 

 in Fig. 31. A band of j'ellow 00 crosses the cordon 17 inches from the end, with teeth 



FIG. 32. TEETH AND THE BUNDLES. 



set in the feathers, 4 on one side of the cordon, 10 on the other; a second similar band 

 comes 33 inches from the end and this has 10 teeth on one side and 13 smaller ones on 

 the other. After examining a number of fish teeth it seemed most probable that the ones 

 used were those of the Hilu {Jul is eydouxit) of the family Labridse. Fig. 32 shows 

 the bundle of teeth in the left hand corner; next on the lower line comes a tooth with 

 its successor at its side, then the jaw from which it was taken, and other jaws with teeth 

 in place. In the upper left hand corner is a cluster of bones in the jaw of another fish 

 which may have suggested the arrangement but are too short for the present purpose. 

 The beauty of fish teeth has not been generally noticed, but the Hawaiians saw it. 



Perhaps the question may arise how could a band four yards long, made as this 

 is with feathers on both sides be disposed on the wearer? The term malo is certainly 

 misleading: it is the Hawaiian (and Polynesian) name for the article in question, but 

 in English it would properly from its use be called a cordon. It seems a part of the 



