78 



Easter Island. 



OBSlDlM 

 SpEflf\ 

 HEflDS 



first bone hook happened 

 to be made. In the pre- 

 historic period of the im- 

 age makers a youth named 

 Ureraius was apprenticed 

 to a fisherman of Hauga 

 Pico. After having mas- 

 tered the profession he ob- 

 tained a canoe and went 

 regularly into the business 

 for himself. Somehow he 

 was not successful. He 

 worshipped the fish gods 

 diligently, but his prayers 

 and devotion failed to give 

 him luck. The finest fish 

 escaped him. Mea Ika 

 and Mea Kahi seemed of- 

 fended at him. On one 

 occasion, after a period 

 of particularly bad luck, 

 me determined to pray all 

 night by the god Mea 

 Kahi. Atmidriight, while 

 still at his devotions, the spirit of an ancient fisherman named 

 Tirakaka appeared and told him that his ill-luck was due to the 

 imperfections of his hooks. The spirit told him to go to the 

 tomb and get a piece of thigh bone from the remains of his 

 father, and to construct a hook of this bone. The young fisher- 

 man was much frightened, but he went to the cave the next day 

 and got the thigh bone. For many days the time usual with him 

 for fishing was spent in labor on the construction of this ' en- 

 chanted' hook. His friends thought he was fishing, and they 

 used to ridicule him because he bronght home no fish. He took 

 this with more complacency than the modern fisherman receives 

 such taunts, for his moment of triumph was near. 



When he finished his hook he sought a place distant from his 

 companions and in a few minutes had his canoe full of fine fish. 

 The extraordinary success of the youth caused many questions 

 to be asked of him and provoked jealousy, but he refused to im- 

 part his secret. His stubbornness led to serious quarrels and 

 finally an attack was made upon him to force the secret from 

 him, and in maintaining it he lost his life. 



In the manufacture of these bone hooks the material used is in- 

 variably the thigh bone of an old fisherman. They are provided 

 with barbs and are cunningly contrived. 



The stone axes of the Easter Island are made of hard slate — 

 black, red and gray — called maca toke. Granite is used also 

 for axes. The hardest and finest stone implements are made of 



