The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-22
1HEo. 4. DAVIES { IN
OFFICE COPY.

~ stretched over the opening: small
gourds are also used in making TOM
toms. Hideous idols, grotesque and
squat, show the ancient characteristic
of all the ancient peoples of Polynesia.
Their houses are made by matching
palm leaves over structure of sap
lipgs, and raised several feet from the
ground, the opening being reached by
means of ladders. Their mats are
woven in a skillful manner from the
strips of the palm tree, and are soft
and pliable. One of the principal ex-
hibits from the Gilbert Islands is the
warriors armor made of cocoanut
fibre; it is as complete as that of the
knightly cavalier of old who went
forth clad in armor Of steel or chain
links; here it is 4produced in the
fibre of cocoanut, the skull cap. fitting
over the ears like the steel fighting
cap of the Puritan; cuirass, jacket, belt
and trousers covering the legs to the
ankles; the fibre is tough and will re-
sist the sharp thrust of a spear
Micronesian Articles.
The exhibit from the Micronesian
group shows more artistic turn of
mind in their different manufactures;
most of their household implements,
which they have fashioned from diff
ferent woods, have been carved with
regular designs, some of them closely
following the plan of the Grecian bor-
der; their tapestry work and weaving
show the same degree of skill; they
possess the art of coloring their mats
and fibres, so that they appeal to the
eye very strongly. Their idols have
no semblance to human shape, as in
: the case of the Hawaiians and New
Hebrideans; the idols are merely large
2 stones of any shape, just as they are
q picked up, and placed one on top of
Y another; this is the only group which
: observed which did not attempt to
|, give shape fashioned somewhat after
{, the human form, in making their idols.
k Pretty woven baskets of different col
!; ored fibres, fish mats and nets of strong
d flbres, form an interesting study. A
is crown made in the conventional style
sr of old King Coles headpiece, COM
l. posed of strips of palm leaf, dyed alter
re nately red and black, the band bor-
e, der being made of woven kappa, stud
Id ded with shells and sharks teeth, oc-
lie cupies a prominent position.
Id The Fiji Islands are probably bet
In ter known to people under the cogno
of men of the Cannibal Islands; the ex
is hibits from there show that a mos
re savage life must have been theirs il
he days long gone by. Most everything
ne in the exhibit signifies some warlik
k, implement. Considerable skill, how
as ever, is manifested by them in tn
II, manufacture of kappa, their dress bein
TT, composed of one small piece Of clot
u about the loins only; their designs an
I'M coloring show some artistic abilit!
lr- The war-clubs are richly carved an
all polished. A battle-axe is made of
ed hardened wood handle, bound wit
in fibre; the axe itself is stone, highl
ng polished and fashioned into the col
by ventional form of an axe, and is
ne. Misunderstanding an implement
war as one cares to see. Other clul
nd are long-handled with heavy spheric
use knobs at the end.
oil, The Australian exhibit consists
or the reproduction, in life-sized figure
err of a bushman's family, consisting
the male, female and child; the e.
Wo hibit shows even the degradation
sh- barbarism; their skins are as blat
OF and dull as night; coarse, unkem
De shocks of straight, black hair GOV
IN their heads and overhang the for
the heads: no clothing is worn, except t
ars skin of an animal draped over t
EN- Ioins: slabs of tree-bark are placed
OF a slanting position against a ridg
the pole elevated on sticks, forming the
asst only habitation; grass and ferns col
)m- pose a bed; the flesh of animals, aft
Or being crudely roasted over a fire,
rus torn by the fingers and teeth; no imp
PSI; ments are used except the boomerai
Flth In the New Hebrides exhibit mu
ing attention is given to the construct
anne of their idols, the principal feature
'rhs ing the head of the idol, which is ma
ally of a human skull which has been his
the ly colored in red and yellow ochr
tent and to which long De Bergerac n
lth' has been attached, giving it the m
lger grotesque look that can be imagin
spe the body part has been made up
! rhs grass and fibres, small tree branc
a s forming the arms and hands. H'
; u as in the other groups, the same ca
1ach full attention has been given to
k of Lia ai ~ az .o4o,ia1 !. roada ON q r
loom, such as one sees in Turkey
u Vi Persia, in the making of rugs, the IL
ralu- $50 hoId non tho knaes. the m;
anu rial is very fine and soft; their v
Sc Vi clubs are like a modern Ratchet,
dt!eL wooden handles being polished to
,,nan high degree.
uGep One of the principal exhibits f
cdpi- the Solomon Islands is the tribal fl
bowl, inlaid with the conus shell,
wa, was used for human or other chowder
uay boiling the flesh with heated sto1
.,air The wood used in the making of {
, tto bowls is very light and durable;
- ~. uno bowl on exhibition is about two
ai;sb in depth and three in length, giyir
= ~ an appearance of an ancient vi
+ba1, galley, on account of the carved v
projections at both ends. Their c.
,i,as paddles are also inlaid with pearl S
+bo Their water bottles consist Of &C
ase-. nut shells, prettily inlaid wit hshel
cola, fact, shell work seems to be the
ign;a dominant feature in their ornam'
Ii++Io work War-shields from the Solo
how Islands are decorated with shell m
court and feathers, and are very b.
! and priced. A popularity of the ARA
: was ment of the feather-knobs is that