386 
POLYNESIANS' RESEARCHES. 
assemble, a native boy went through the settle¬ 
ment, holding it up by the string with one hand, 
and striking it with a stone which he held in the 
other. When I last saw the boy going his accus¬ 
tomed rounds, I perceived that, in consequence of 
frequent and continued use, the side he struck had 
actually become concave, the opposite exhibiting a 
corresponding convexity. 
But the most rude and simple expedient I ever 
beheld was at Kaivavai, or High Island, where 
every implement of iron was as precious and as 
scarce as bells or clocks were at the other stations. 
At Raiatea, a sun-dial was erected, by which the 
natives, when the sun shone, were informed of the 
proper time for ringing their bell: at the other 
stations they usually applied to the Missionaries, 
by whose watches the meetings were regulated, 
but here they had neither dial nor watch : they 
therefore regulated their time of assembling in the 
school or the chapel by the situation of the sum 
At the appointed time, the person whose office it 
was to call them together, went to the green- 
spreading tree, from one of whose lower branches 
their rude unpolished bell was suspended. It was 
a rough flat oval-shaped stone, about three feet 
long, and twelve or eighteen inches wide. A 
piece of twisted bark was tied across it, and 
fastened to the tree. A number of small round 
stones lay underneath, with which, when it was 
necessary to call the people together, the large 
one was struck. I could not imagine its use, until, 
in answer to my inquiry, the native teacher said, 
It is the bell with which we call the people to 
prayers.” It appeared metallic to a great degree, 
as the sound produced by striking it was consi¬ 
derable ; but not, I should think, such as could 
