EMERSON] UNWRITTEN LITERATUEE OF HAWAII 147 



the others Avere controlled by the fingers. This instrument has been 

 compared to the Italian ocarina. 



10. The ili-Ui was a noise-instrument pure and simple. It con- 

 sisted of two pebbles that were held in the hand and smitten together, 

 after the manner of castanets, in time to the music of the voices. (See 

 p. 120.) 



11. The niau-l-ani — singing splinter — was a reed-instrument of a 

 rude sort, made by holding a reed of thin bamboo against a slit cut 

 out in a larger piece of bamboo. This was applied to the mouth, 

 and the voice being projected against it produced an effect similar to 

 that of the Jew's harp. (See p. 132.) 



12. Even still more extemporaneous and rustic than any of these 

 is a modest contrivance called by the Hawaiians pu-la-l. It is nothing 

 more than a ribbon torn from the green leaf of the ti plant, say three- 

 quarters of an inch to an inch in width by 5 or G inches long, and 

 rolled up somewhat after the manner of a lamplighter, so as to form 

 a squat cylinder an inch or more in length. This was compressed 

 to flatten it. Placed between the lips and blown into with proper 

 force, it emits a tone of pure reedlike quality, that varies in pitch, 

 according to the size of the Avhistle, from G in the middle register to 

 a shrill piping note more than an octave above. 



The hula girl who showed this simple device offered it in answer 

 to reiterated inquiries as to what other instruments, besides those of 

 more formal make already described, the Hawaiians were wont to 

 use in connection with their informal rustic dances. " This," said 

 she, " was sometimes used as an accompaniment to such informal dan- 

 cing as was indulged in outside the halau." This little rustic pipe, 

 quickly improvised from the leaf that every Hawaiian garden 

 supplies, would at once convert any skeptic to a belief in the pipes of 

 god Pan. 



13. The uheke^ the one Hawaiian instrument of its class, is a mere 

 strip of wood bent into the shape of a bow that its elastic force may 

 keep tense the strings that are stretched upon it. These strings, three 

 in number, were originally of sinnet, later after the arrival of the 

 white man, of horsehair. At the present time it is the fashion to use 

 the ordinary gut designed for the violin or the taro-patch guitar. 

 Ever}^ ukeke seen folloAved closely a conventional pattern, which ar- 

 gues for the instrument a historic age sufficient to have gathered about 

 itself some degree of traditional reverence. One end of the stick is 

 notched or provided with holes to hold the strings, while the other end 

 is wrought into a conventional figure resembling the tail of a fish and 

 serves as an attacliment about which to wind the free ends of the 

 strings. 



No ukeke seen by the author was furnished with pins, pegs, or any 

 similar device to facilitate tuning. Nevertheless, the musician does 



