344 Memoirs Bcniicc P. Bishop Miiscimi 



but their absence in Western Polynesia is of great interest and would seem to in- 

 dicate a well marked difference in culture. 



If we exclude the curious stirru[) pounders from Kauai in the Hawaiian 

 islands and the New Zealand fern root pounders, we find a gx-neral similarity 

 among Polynesian implements of this class. There are many minor differences 

 in shape, permitting of the creation of a great number of subtypes, but the major 

 dift'erences appear in the finishing of the upper end or head. On the basis of 

 these dift'erences in head form we may divide the pounders into four types : domed, 

 fiat, phallic and transversed gripped. The domed form is characteristic of most 

 Hawaiian ])(iunders and seems to be limited to that group. The tlat form ap- 

 pears as a minor type in the Marquesas and possibly in Hawaii, but is lacking 

 elsewhere in Polynesia. It is normal in Micronesia, however. The phallic type 

 is limited to the Marquesas. The transverse grip type is normal throughout 

 Southeastern Polynesia, where it shows many local variations, and occurs as a 

 very rare form in the Marquesas. 



The normal Marquesan pounders resemble those from the Society Islands 

 more closely in the form of the base, body and grij^ than they do those from 

 Hawaii, but their phallic heads are more nearly related to the Plawaiian domed 

 than the Southeastern transverse grip type. 



STONE FIGURES 



The Marquesans excelled all other Polynesians in the manufacture of stone 

 figures. Although none of their carvings equalled the great Easter Island statues 

 in size, they ranged from large figures over eight feet high to little statuettes 

 scarcely six inches tall. Between these extremes there were all gradations in size. 

 For the sake of con\enience the statues will be divided into those which were in- 

 tended to be permanently set up and those which were portable, only the portable 

 one being considered here. A single object of uncertain significance, which does 

 not belong in either of these classes, will also be described. 



A number of small stone figures of fish were used in the iiic'ac of the fish- 

 ermen. These figures were used one at a time and those not in use were buried 

 within the precincts. The figure in use was placed upon an altar within the main 

 house and was kept there as long as the catches were good. If the luck changed 

 it was removed and rei)laced by another. According to a different account, which 

 could not be correlated with the above, the small fish figures were the property 

 of ordinary individuals. When the owner went fishing he took the image with 

 him and threw it into the sea, and so great was its mana that on his return he 

 would find it again at a given place, to which it had supernaturally returned. 



[84] 



