132 . PERSONAL ORNAMENTS. 



pendants, such as Bulla shells, the pretty iS'atica mamilla, beans, the 

 liard palate of a fish (probably a ray), and other things. One native 

 was very proud of a fi'agment of a willow-pattern plate, which he 

 had smoothed off and ground down to a convenient size for his 

 necklace. 



Shell armlets^ are in general use, and their number and size 

 frequently denote the rank of their owner. Those most prized are 

 fashioned out of the thickest part of the shell of Tndacna gigiis 

 towards the hinge. On one occasion, in the island of Simbo, I had 

 an opportunity of observing the tedious process of making these 

 Tridacna armlets. A hole is first bored through the solid thickness 

 of the shell, and in it is inserted a piece of hoop iron, with one edge 

 roughly jagged, after the fashion of a saw. This is worked with 

 the hands, and after much labour the ring is sawn out of the 

 shell. It is then rubbed down and polished with sand. On account 

 of the tedious nature of the process of making them, these Tridacna 

 armlets are much prized by their possessors. Amongst the numer- 

 ous articles employed in trading with these natives is a very good 

 imitation of this armlet made of tough white porcelain, and valued 

 at about half a dollar. Smaller armlets are also cut out of large 

 shells belonging to the genera Trochus and lurho. The shell arm- 

 lets of these islanders are often first placed on during youth, or at 

 the first attainment of manhood ; and, as the wearer grows older 

 these ornaments become too small to pass over the elbow, and are 

 permanently worn. Armlets are also made of native shell-money 

 worked into patterns. Sometimes a couple of curved boar's- tusks 

 are joined togetlier for this purpose. Excluding the shell armlets, 

 those most Irequently worn are made of what is commonly known 

 as " dyed grass." Tliis material, however, consists, for the most 

 part, of the strips of the vascular tissue of ferns, belonging to 

 Gleichenia and other genera, which are neatly plaited together in 

 patterns (vide page281) The prettiest specimens of this work are 

 to bo obtained at Save. The same plaited ai'mlets are worn by tlie 

 Admiralty Islanders.^ In some parts of New Guinea, strips of 

 rattan are worked in with this material.^ ... In the Solomon 

 Islands, armlets are usually worn on the left arm. The native 



1 By " armlet," I mean an ornament encircling the arm above the elbow. 



- There is a chromo-lithograph of these ornaments in the " Narrative of the Cruise of the 



•Challenger.'" 



" Specimens in British Jluseum collection. 



