46 Director's Report for 1916. 
hematite ‘‘artificially made of an oval shape divided longitudinally, 
with a narrow groove in the middle of the convex part.....-it 
weighed a pound’’ undoubtedly applied to the pohaku lu hee, or 
stone sinker’ for the octopus trap. To this stone, he said, ‘‘was 
applied a cord of no great thickness.’’ It is questionable if this 
cord was a sling as Cook inferred; more than probably it was the 
cord for fastening to the stone the appliances of the trap.” 
Rev. Wm. Ellis noted on the island of Hawaii that ‘‘....they 
employed the sling, and their stones were very destructive. The 
slings were made of human hair, plaited, or the elastic fibres of the 
cocoa-nut husk...-. ’?3 Human hair for cord was not uncommon 
in these islands, although its principal use was in ornamentation. 
Since he made no special mention of the pattern, it is to be assumed 
that the Hawaiian sling of his description resembled in form those 
he had seen in Southern Polynesia. Of the latter, he gives the 
following details, intended to apply to the southern groups in gen- 
eral: ‘‘The most dangerous missile was the w77/z or stone, from 
the ma or sling. The latter was prepared with great care, and 
made with finely braided fibres of the cocoa-nut husk, or filaments 
of the native flax, having a loop to fasten it to the hand at one 
end, and a wide receptacle for the stone in the centre.’’+ The de- 
scription of the shape would probably answer for the Hawaiian 
specimen in Fig. 6, if the latter were undamaged. 
A model of a very neat appearing sling (Fig. 7) has been 
given to the Museum by Mr. Edgar Henriques. It was made to 
his order by S. W. Kahikina, of Kiilae, Kona, Hawaii, and, ac- 
cording to the maker, represents the form once used in this group. 
Its principal characteristic is the replacement of the pocket by two 
loops, which are well adapted to hold the double conical sling- 
stone. ‘The material is the Hawaiians’ most durable fibre, o/ona 
( Touchardia latifolia). It will be noticed that, in this example, as 
in No. 4812, the technique changes; but from twisted cords to 
braided loops. One character not present in the older specimen 
is the arrangement of the handles. The held cord of this sling 
ends in a running loop for the wrist, while the freed cord termi- 
nates in a large knot. 
1B Pp. B. M. Memoirs, ees Sai 352, Fig. TA, and Pl. XXXVI-XXXIX. 
ZOD ACibe His A: 
3 Ellis, Tour through Hawaii, London, 1828, p. 141. 
4Ellis, Polynesian Researches, London, 1830, II, 490. 
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