228 



made for its capture, The tackle consists, first, of a large round 

 wicker-work basket, shaped very much like a cage rat-trap, having 

 an opening above, with a circlet of points directed inwards, so as to 

 permit of entry, but preclude escape ; secondly, a rough piece of 

 native rope of sufficient length to reach the bottom ; and, thirdly, 

 a siTiall piece of branched wood, with the braiiches sharpened to 

 form a sort of grapnel, to which a perforated stone is attached, an- 

 swerino- the purpose of a sinker. The basket is now weighted with 

 stones, well baited with boiled cray fish (Palinunis), suggested no 

 doubt by the large quantity of the fragments of Crustacea usually 

 to be found in the crop of the Nautilus, and then dropped gently 

 down near the victim. The trap is now either closely watched, or a 

 mark is placed upon the spot, and the fisherman pursues his avo- 

 cations on other parts of the reef, until a certain period has elapsed, 

 when he returns and in all probability finds the Nautilus in his 

 cao-e feeding upon the bait. The grapnel is now carefully let down, 

 and having entered the basket through the opening on top, a dex- 

 terous movement of the hand fixes one or more of the points or 

 hooks, and the prize is safely hoisted into the canoe. Thus we ob- 

 serve that, although it has been a matter of doubt if the animal 

 could be so silly as to run into the nets of the fishermen, as related 

 by Rumphius, whose account was supposed to be exaggerated, yet it 

 is now found that the Nautili are in reality stupid enough to run 

 into the well-baited baskets of the Feegean and Aneitum fishermen." 



The Pearly Nautilus is not found at the Navigator group of islands 

 in the South Seas, and the shells form at that group of islands an 

 important article of exchange. They are brought by European vessels 

 from New Caledonia and the Feegee Islands as articles of trade, and 

 are bartered with the natives at the rate of four for a dollar, or Is. 

 each. I am told it is indifferent to the natives if the shells are old 

 or rather damaged, as they use the chambered portion for orna- 

 ment, rubbing them down to suit the various purposes to which they 

 apply them. They also make armlets and other ornaments from 

 the shell. A vessel arrived at Sydney from New Caledonia with 

 several tons of these shells, which were disposed of as an article of 

 trade to the Navigator and Friendly Islands ; they were sold at 

 Sydney at the rate of about l^d. each. 



I have seen a very elegant fillet formed of these shells (of very small 

 size, and brought from the Samoan Islands). The fillet, or band, 

 was composed of seventeen small shells, evidently principally of N. 

 macromphalus, or Pearly Nautilus, each shell having the upper part 

 removed, and the chambered portion only of the shell remaining. 

 Part of the outer coloured coat was left on some of them near 

 and in and about the umbilicated part of the shell ; the whole of 

 the shells were similar in size, being about one inch in diameter ; the 

 external coat was removed, so as to exhibit the beautiful pearly hue ; 

 and the brilliancy of the whole ornament was that of the most highly 

 burnished silver, They are used by the natives in war, and are 

 highly valued. This fillet was valued at 20 dollars, at which price it 

 was purchased in barter. The shells are fixed to a small midrib of 



