292 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
frequently with both^ and often struck them with great 
precision. 
Their aim with this spear^ however^ is much less cer¬ 
tain than with one headed with iron | which some throw 
with great dexterity^ though others are exceedingly 
awkward. When fishing on the reefs^ they often wear a 
kind of sandal, made of closely netted cords of the bark 
of the native auti^ or cloth-plant. This was designed to 
preserve their feet from the edges of the shells, the spikes 
of the echinus, &c. They use the angle or the spear in 
fishing at the edge of the reef, when the surf is low. 
I have often, when passing across the bay, stopped to 
gaze on a group of fishermen standing on a coral reef, or 
rock, amidst the roar of the billows and the dashing surf 
and foam, that broke in magnificent splendour around 
them. With unwavering glance, they have stood, with a 
little basket in one hand, and a pointed spear in the other, 
striking with unerring aim such fish as the violence of 
the wave might force within their reach. They have a 
curious contrivance for taking several kinds of ray and 
cuttle-fish, which resort to the holes of the coral rocks, 
and protrude the arms or feet for the bait, but remain 
themselves firm within the retreat. The instrument they 
employ, consists of a straight piece of hard wood, a foot 
long, round and polished, and not half an inch in diame¬ 
ter. Near one end of this, a number of the most beau¬ 
tiful pieces of the cowrie or tiger-shell are fastened one 
over another, like the scales of a fish or the plates of a 
piece of armour, until it is about the size of a turkey’s 
egg, and resembles the cowrie. It is suspended in an 
horizontal position, by a strong line, and lowered by the 
fisherman from a small canoe, until it nearly reaches 
the bottom. The fisherman then gently jerks the line. 
