62 
only 4 to 5 inches high, his toes are pressed. The space 
between the two stakes measures no more than 18 
inches, hence the workman although he sits with his 
knees widely separate is very tightly jammed between 
the rests. This is found essential as it is necessary that 
his limbs should be rigid during his work, as his feet 
have to function as a vice during the sawing of the 
sections, the shell to be cut being placed between the 
right heel and the toes of the left foot. 
After the columella and lip of the shell are removed, 
a disc of hard wood is placed over the mouth aperture of 
the shell to provide a firm purchase for the foot pressed 
against this side of the shell. The worker is now ready 
to begin sawing the shell into sections. For this 
purpose he is provided with a heavy hand-saw of great 
apparent clumsiness. The iron blade, as seen in fig. 2, 
ple Lens ol va: deep crescentic form ending in an 
attenuate horn at each end. A little way from each of 
these tapered extremities the end of a long iron tang is 
rivetted to the back of the saw; the further ends of the 
two tangs are connected by a thin cane cross bar or handle 
lashed by twine to the tangs which are covered with 
a serving of the same twine. It is noteworthy that the 
tangs are not straight but have a hook-like bend near the 
attachment tothe blade. The latter is a stout forged iron 
plate, 2 mm. thick except for a distance of one inch from 
the cutting edge where it is worked down to a thickness 
of 06mm. Between the tangs the back of the saw is 
protected by a piping of iron. A saw of this description 
costs Rs. 12, each workman providing his own. After 
sharpening, a new saw is adorned on each side of the 
blade with a number of red spots as auspicious marks. 
In beginning work, the shell is placed somewhat 
obliquely between the feet, the apex directed to the right 
and away from the worker, who places his left hand on 
one twine-covered tang of the saw and the other on the 
horn of the blade at the opposite extremity. Balancing 
the saw carefully in his hands, and at right angles to his 
body, he applies the edge to the shell and begins a 
vigorous to and fro movement of the saw from side to 
side, the course of the hands being through a short arc 
of a circle at each swing. Several times he pauses 
momentarily to adjust the shell anew as the work 
