CLUBS. 



53 



best and most elaborate examples of this sort of weapon is the 

 "Pine-apple " Club of Fiji, a figure of which may be seen in 

 the illustration, drawn from a specimen in my collection. 



It is made in the most ingenious manner from a tree which 

 is trained for the purpose. There are certain trees belonging 

 to the palm tribe which possess " aerial " roots, i.e. subsidiary 

 roots, which surround the trunk at some distance from the 

 ground, and assist in supporting it. Some trees have no central 

 root, and are entirely upborne by the aerial roots, while others 

 have both. 



One of these latter is selected, and when it is very young is 

 bent over and fastened to the ground almost at right angles, as 

 shown in the illustration. When it has grown to a sufficient 

 age it is cut to the requisite length, the central root is sharp- 

 ened to a point, and the aerial roots are also cut down in such 



POLLEN OP HOLLYHOCK. 

 HOBSE-CHESTNUT. 



WOODEN AND METAL CLUBS. 



a way that they radiate very much like the projections on a 

 pine-apple. This is really an ingenious weapon, for if the long 

 and sharpened end should miss its aim, the projections would 

 be tolerably sure to inflict painful if not immediately dangerous 

 injuries. 



As the pine-apple is so well known, I have given in the 

 opposite side of the illustration a figure of the Durian, a large 

 Bornean fruit, which is covered with projections almost identical 

 in- appearance with those of the pine-apple club, and almost 

 equally hard and heavy. 



Perhaps some of my readers may have heard of the grand 

 Italian game of Pallone, the " game of giants," as it has been 



