420 Mcjjioirs Pciiiicc P. Hisliof^ Muscunt 



In pre-European times the liead was sliaved witli a shark's loolli, tlie hair 

 being gathered in small bunches and the tooth sawn back and forth across it at 

 the roots. Porter (4<j. p. 114) savs that the hair was sometimes singed off with 

 a five brand. As it was important that the cuttings of the hair should not fall into 

 the hands of an enemv who might use them for malevolent magic, the hair was 

 usually cut in the bed of a stream or on the sea shore. In Atu Ona, Hiva Oa, it 

 was customary for the relatives of a man killed in war to let their hair grow until 

 accounts were squared by the capture of one of the enemv. Their hair was then 

 cut at the public assembly place, the clip])ings being thrown into a special |)it. 



Many of the Alarquesan men are naturallv rather heavilv bearded, but prac- 

 tically .all are clean shaven or wear onlv a moustache. A number of methods of 

 arranging the beard were formerly in vogue. Krusenstern (34, pp. 158-159) says 

 the natives of Xuku Hiva usually shaved off their beards except for a small tuft 

 on the chin. In describing the natives of the southern islands of the ^larquesas 

 group Fleurieu {2Ti, p. 113) says: 



Those who wear their beards full lenjjth. and these are the greatest number, arran,q;e 

 tliem in chfterent ways. The commonest is to part the beard in two tufts, shavinj'' or phickini;; 

 the chin, and letting the beard grow on either side. Many others let it all grow and separate it 

 into locks, which they plait, or to which they attach the teeth of fish, human teeth, little pieces 

 of bone, shells, or the colored glass beads which they get from Europeans. Some do not let the 

 middle part grow. Finally, others shave it entirely. 



According to Handy the men nsuallv i)lucked the beard, but many old men 

 would let it grow in order to obtain hair for pai'aliiua, ornaments worn on the 

 head. This was usually done for the benefit of some relative, but a man wishing 

 to make a paz'ahina might pay an old man to let his beard grow for the purpose. 



Both men and women kept the hair liberally anointed with scented oil {paiii). 



The oil was obtained by scraping the flesh of an old coconut, wringing it out in a cloth, 

 and adding chopped-up tiavc flowers and sandal wood, grated by rubbing a piece of the 

 wood, preferably the rout, with a rasp made from the tail of the giant ray. The mixture 

 was stirred until the flowers had absorbed all the oil and then left in the sun for three or four 

 days until the oil separated once more. The oil was then drained off and kept in a bamboo, 

 a fau leaf being tied over the open end. Before use, it was diluted with plain coconut oil. 



Langsdorff {38, p. 175) describes a somewhat different method of making 

 coconut oil, although it is evident that be refers to the jilain oil and not to paiii. 

 He says : 



They scrape the kernels of a great number of coconuts, which they put upon banana 

 leaves, and let it lie out in the sun for four or five days. They then press the oil from an 

 equal number of fresh coconuts over the scrapings, and let it lie in the sun again for two or 

 three days : by repeating this several times, a quantity of good oil is procured. It is kept for 

 use in the hollow of bamboo canes. 



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