Wearing the Malo. 



185 



it up over one buttock aud round the waist over tlie vertical end of the strip and 

 deftly twisting the end around the part coming up to the waist. The suspended end 

 then falls gracefully down and seems to form a very sufficient garment. The free- 

 dom from buttons and other detachable fastenings was purchased by the exertion of 



some skill in fastening the malo 

 securely. It seems a simple thing 

 to adjust a strip of cloth of suitable 

 size to the pelvic portion of a man's 

 body, but let my reader try the ex- 

 periment and he will find it at first 

 difficult to establish a feeling of 

 security; there is an uncomfortable 

 feeling that one or two safety-pins 

 would help. We remember that it 

 must be easily removed and as quick- 

 13^ readjusted. The deft twist of the 

 end around the girdle portion was 

 usually sufficient, although the old 

 Fijian whose portrait is given in 

 Fig. 109 used a more formal knot, 

 sacrificing symmetry to securit}'. 

 When the kapa malo was wet it was 

 not so easily detached; hence the 

 custom of going without the malo 

 in battle that any enemy might have 

 no such sure and convenient hold. 

 The Hawaiian koa was naked as the 

 contestants in the Olympic games. 



We have seen that on the south- 

 ern groups the length of the pendent 

 portion of the malo varied greatly 

 from one so short as to require a 

 cord for attachment to the waist up 

 to a length of several feet, so that the wearer when walking must throw it over his 

 shoulder to get it out of the way. The dandies wore absurdly long malos. While 

 kapa was the only material on Hawaii for clothing, there was no monc}? to be 

 carried in pocket, nor knife, nor ke3's, so the trousers pocket was not missed. With 



Wk^^ 



Pig. 109. OI,D CANNIBAI, PIJIAN. 



