244 



FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



In the Museum at Honolulu there are deposited, " Sandals for 

 walking on coral reefs," from Santa Cruz. The sandals of the 

 ancient Hawaiian could hardly be called a regular part of the 

 national costume, as they were only worn to protect the feet in 

 journeys over the rough lava beds. The sandals, " malina," were 

 simply braided cushions attached by cords, often of the same 

 material, over the toes and around the ankle. Another allusion 

 to these sandals terms them " kama waoke."* 



Webster, ascending Mauna Loa in 

 1851 observed that his native guide 

 Sam, " always careful of number one, 

 had provided himself with sandals made 

 from the fibre of coconut husk " to save 

 his feet from the sharp lava.f 



The sandal "tukka" is still employed 

 at Funafuti, whose fishermen are thus 

 shod when wading on the reefs. A 

 pair before me, of which one is re- 

 presented by fig. 9, weighs five ounces. 

 Each is eight inches long, four wide, and 

 nearly one thick. Upon an oval, rope 

 foundation, flat sinnet is woven under 

 and over ; at the toe end there is a long 

 loop, at each side two short ones, and, 

 at one corner of the heel end, a fourth 

 loop. From the opposite corner of the 

 heel end arises a flat cord thirty-nine 

 inches long which is rove through each 



of the loops. The sandal is put on (fig. 10), by thrusting the 

 second and third toes through the largest loop, applying the pad 

 to the sole of the foot, drawing the cord 

 tight and fastening it round the ankle. 

 When fitted, both heel and toe over- 

 lap the pad. The construction of the 

 Samoan sandal suggests that it is worn 

 in a slightly different manner. 



The Japanese have a sandal closely 

 resembling this, but the "kuditcha" 

 shoes | of Australia are too distant in 

 use and construction to require com- 

 parison. 



* Brigham loc. cit., pt. ii., p, 87 ; pt. iii., pp. 21 and 61. 



t Webster Last Cruise of the Wanderer, n.d., p. 18. 



E. Etheridge, Junr. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (2) ix., 1895, p. 544 ; 

 Favenc The Moccasins of Silence, n.d., f frontispiece ; Edge-Partington 

 loc. cit., ii., pi. ccviii., figs. 7, 8. 



Fig. 9. 



Fig, 10. 



