Linton — The Marquesas Islands 401 



(8) Paoa: A long seine of fau bark. This form could be used at Pua Ma"u, where 

 the beach shelves gradually, but was useless in most localities. One end of the seine was 

 carried out from the beach by men wading or swimming and then brought back to the beach 

 again at a point 75 to 100 yards away. It was then drawn in from both ends, with all the fish 

 within the circle trapped. Such seines were provided with light wood floats along the upper 

 edge and stone sinkers on the bottom. 



(9) Fifi: Probably the same as the fi'Hi'i of Dordillon's Dictionary, which he defines 

 as a small net to catch turtles. According to native informants this was a very strong, large 

 meshed seine made of cord twisted from the fiber of the coconut spathe. It was much wider 

 than the paoa but like it was provided with floats and sinkers. The method of use was as 

 follows : The net was set a short distance off any rocky place where the turtles were abundant, 

 its line running more or less parallel to the shore. When in place, a number of men jumped 

 into the water between the net and the shore and frightened the turtles, which, in their eft'orts 

 to escape, became entangled in the net. As soon as it was evident from the movement of the 

 floats that one had been caught a man dived down, disentangled the turtle, and tied it with 

 fau bark cords, bringing it to the surface and giving it to the men in one of the canoes. 

 The net was not drawn until the fishing was ended. From ten to twenty turtles were some- 

 times caught in this way in a single day. 



(10) Upena: By far the most important of the Marquesan net forms. Descriptions 

 obtained by Handy in Atu Ona and by the author in Pua Ma'u differ in some details. Accord- 

 ing to Pua Ma'u informants the cords composing it were made of fau bark twisted by rolling 

 them on a smooth breadfruit log. According to informants of Atu Ona the cords were com- 

 posed half of fau bark and half of plaited coconut fiber and were rolled upon the thigh. Both 

 agree that at the time of rolling the cords were rubbed with a red earth called ka'aea which 

 gave them a permanent color supposed to attract the fish. Ten men with coconut baskets 

 were required to bring the earth for dyeing a single net. The net was woven by women skilled 

 in the art tmder the direction of a tnhuna ttpena, the labor occupying twenty to thirty women 

 for ten days or more. The work was carried on in a special house and was attended with 

 various religious observances. In Pua Ma'u the itpcua was said to have been circular, about 

 thirty feet across at the rim and decreasing gradually toward the bottom. The whole net was 

 woven in one piece, the mesh being two fingers wide on the sides and somewhat less on the 

 bottom. The upper end was held open by flexible poles or withes of toa wood placed about 

 the circumference. The weight of the withes caused the net to sink. The net of Atu Ona is said 

 to have been 30 to 36 feet square, tapering toward the bottom, which was finished by a special 

 piece, "shaped like the crown of a hat," which was called to'o pii'ii. Along the upper edge of 

 each side was fastened a log of toa wood, to either end of which a line was attached. 



The method of handhng the iipcna appears to have been the same in both 

 locaHties. 



Four canoes set out about four hours before dawn with the net, two of these being large 

 craft which carried eight men each, and two smaller, with a crew of three men each. When 

 the fishing place was reached each of the large canoes put out four anchors, two at the bow 

 and two at the stern. These anchors apparently were placed by the small canoes, one of 

 which, called vaca iti, went to the east side while the other, called zvca vaho, went to the west. 

 The net was then lowered between the two large canoes. When the net was submerged the 

 tuhuna who supervised the fishing dived in and directed whether it was to be moved back- 

 ward or forward. A skilled tuhuna was said to be able to see the fish under water and to 

 hear them when they entered the net. When he considered the net full it was hauled up. The 

 upena was drawn several times on a single trip. 



Fishing with the fifi and upena, and probably with the paoa. was a 

 community matter, and had associated witli it elaborate religiotis observances. 



[141] 



