Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24
Worth a Million,

concentrated and very nutritious food II
is the staple article of diet in the islands.
The taro flour is adapted better to the
baking of cakes than bread.
Large quantities of fish are also con-
sumed. and the bread-fruit tree adds
further to the Polynesian's store of edibles.
Clothing of Paper.
Paper was the material of which the Ha-
waiian made his clothing. He wore 10
woven fabrics, unless the feather war-cloak
could be SO called. This paper he manu-
featured much as the ancient Egyptian
made papyrus. The mucilagnous inner
bark of the mulberry tree was beaten until
it spread out in uniform sheets, several of
which were then beaten together in such a
manner as to constitute a strong covering.
In the art of making this raw material for
his garments he was highly expert, and the
truly artistic and widely diversified decora-
tons which he added with his brush justly
excite the admiration of those who give
these products of oceanic skill any stu1y
The museum contains a large collection of
this printed paper from some of the south
ern Pacific islands.
a carefully constructed model of n Poly
nesian dwelling is to be seen among the
objects classified coming from the homes
OF these daring ocean roamers. The ground
outline is oval, the roof resting upon poles
which constitute the only resemblance to
wall. il an approximately conical struc-
ture OF palm leaf matching. The thatch-
ing, as well as the wooden work of the
house. is secured by cords. Beneath is A
moor or small stones, covered with several
layers of mats, and the whole house ia
bullt upon a terrace, two feet high COM
age.
Such furniture as the roof covers is made
OF the wood of the palm tree. The vessels
were cut from gourds and blocks of wood.
The collection which the museum possesses
exhibits many peculiar kinds, varying in
1or'l from hollow hemispheres to fiat boat
shaped vessels.
n Decided Polythe,st.
Gods for everything made the Polynesian
emphatically a polytheist. His system of
religion was very primitive. He had great
gods and little gods, gods for the air. the
sun, the moon, the land, the sea and all
things about him. Some of his clumsy
images were cut from stone and some from
wood-two remarkable specimens of the
former, from Easter Island, will be no.
ticed by the visitor on his right. just after
passing through the main entrance to the
museum. The larger of these is eight feet
hlgh, with broad. coarse face. Upon the
head of the other-devoid of a body-rests
huge bandbox-shaped stone. The small
wooden idols are ugly little things for the
art of the Pacific Islander runs to the gro
tesque. Numbers of these wooden images
are 70 be observed in the museum cases.
Taboo is Il word which comes from the
Poiynesian languages, and expresses the
characteristic idea Of the Pacific Island
religions-a feature which sets ii apart
as distinctive. Taboo is equivalent to the
Latin "Noli me ta2gere'-touch me not
From this developed a worse ceremonial
slavery than that in which any race OF
men ever became involved-worse by far
than that under which the old Hebrews
labored. The kings person was sacred
al times everyone's person was sacred
and not 20 be touched. and there We're
sacred places and sacred trees, and sacred
objects all about.