Hawaiian Sewing. 



105 



bone needle, and No. 4472 was a similar instrument of kauila wood. Coarse as these 

 needles seem, the}- were quite capable of doing neat work in the hands of the old 

 Hawaiian women. The}?' were even more used in the southern groups.'"' See Fig. 55 

 for this stitching. 



FIG. 56. UNDliR SIDE OF Sl'.AlI IN THICK KAPA. 



FIG. 57. UPPER SIDE OF THE SEAM SHOWN IN FIG. 56. 



On examining the sewing on the oldest kapa, I find it was by no means of a 

 single, simple kind, and we must stop here to examine this. The cjuestion even arises, 

 why did they sew at all, when it was so common a practice to paste or weld by beating 

 two or more sheets together? In some cases this question is not easy to answer; in 

 the case of the kiiina of the kapa )noc, it was undoubtedly the easiest and most convenient 

 method of uniting five sheets, that frequently might need a certain amount of separa- 

 tion for airing or dyeing, but when in use should be kept together firml}'. The thread 



"Cook seems not to have noticed this, as he gives the Hawaiian sole credit for sewing. 



