HOOKS OF PEARL 267 



cravats. "Those are our failures," the spirits of the de- 

 parted, brooding over the site of the camp, might have 

 sighed, as we sorted out crude and unfashioned fragments. 

 Presently the discovery of a small specimen established 

 the standard of perfection — a crescent of pearl, which alone 

 was ample recompense for the afternoon's research. 

 Smaller than the average hook, it represented an excellent 

 object-lesson in patience and skill. Many other examples, 

 some complete, have since been found, and have been 

 arranged for illustration to exhibit the process of con- 

 struction in several stages. Do they not confirm the 

 opinion that the maker of pearl-shell fish-hooks suffered 

 many mishaps and disappointments, and that he had 

 high courage in discarding any that evidenced a 

 fault ? 



The method of manufacture was to reduce by chipping 

 with a sharp-edged piece of quartz a portion of a black-lip 

 mother-of-pearl shell to a disc, A central hole was then 

 chipped — not bored or drilled — with another tool of 

 quartz. The hole was gradually enlarged by the use of 

 a terminal of one of the staghorn corals {Madepora laxa) 

 until a ring had been formed. Then a segment was cut 

 away, leaving a rough crescent, which was ground down 

 with coral files, and the ends sharpened by rubbing on 

 smooth slate. 



Discs were also cut out of gold-lip mother-of-pearl 

 shell, but by what means there is no evidence to tell. 

 When such a prize as a gold-lip shell was found, it was 

 used to the last possible fragment. Most frequently the 

 black-lip mother-of-pearl was the material whence the 

 hooks were fashioned, and, when none other was available, 

 the hammer oyster. In one case an unsuccessful en- 

 deavour had been made to fashion a hook from a piece 

 of plate-glass, obtained, no doubt, from the wreck of some 

 long-forgotten ship. The fractured disc lying among other 

 relics of the handicraft spoke for itself 



Not only have many samples of partially-made hooks 

 been found, but also the tools employed in the process. 



