The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-24

Among the new curios shown at the
Bishop Museum are New Zealand flax
Founders of stone. being mallets with
out hondless other than middle grips;
some very fine stone adzes, and a beau
tifuI collection of very old hshhooks OF
bone. are contained in one cabinet with
other exhibits. Alongside is ..mafka'
stone. similar to the Hawaiian article
except that the Maori one is OF wood.
Here also is a little gem. being jade
blade with which the Maoris cut the
lines under their eyes. 1t marks them
for life in appearance like tattooing.
hut the process is severe enough to lay
them up for months. The instrument is
of irregular shape not much unlike that
OF an artists palette. but only two or
three inches in length.
A beautifully engraved cannibal dish,
with a curved handle. is one of the
xarest acquisitions Another Is a stone
for certain mystic purposes. This is q
loan from Mr. ]. L. Young of Auck-
land and Mr.. Thompson has made a
cast OF which can hardly be distin-
guished from the original
"Mr. Young has the finest Easter Is
land collection outside of the British
Museum" Prof. Brigham stated. "He
wants to sell the whole collection. With
$1,000 could have made the Polynesian
collection here as good as the Hawai-
lam
NEW GUINEA RELICS.
Some most remarkable swords from
Matty Island, north of New Guinea, are
shown. They are two-haDded weapons
eight or nine feet long, gracefully
fashioned and handsomely ornamented-
In decoration they resemble the art
shown in old japanese war cutlery of
steel. Then there is a sort of rocking
dish, with ends sloping under and sides
bent inward, a New Guinea product.
Close by is a peculiar shaped canoe |
model 1t has long rams extending !
from the keel line at both ends, which
aid the ontrigger In maintaining buoy
ancy. Set upright at the prov is a
long sword. as the emblem OF the
canoes purpose.
Stretched along the upper rims of
several cabinets is a New Guinea fish
ing net forty yards long. its eordage a
fine texture of flax. With shells for
sinkers closely set along the bottom.
this net has high ornamental value.
Neurological figures from New Guis
nea represent a good spirit destroying
an evil spirit. which, as Prof. Brigham
remarked, might have been taken
from the Mexican flag symbol OF the
eagle overcoming the serpent, so alike
are they in general effect.
Still another New Guinea object, and
one of the most interesting. is a shark
hook to which floats are attached. ]
When the shark takes the hook he is
prevented from diving with 1t BY the
buoyancy of the floats.
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.
To the already choice collection of
Polynesian weapons is added a Solo
mon Island club, ripple-graved and with c
a long-hoot1ed blade capable OF terrible {
damage TO an enemy q
Australian. shields beautifully graved
are shown, what strikes the visitor be-
ing their narrowness. They have I
middle grip like q sword guard and at il
first glance would be taken for canoe I
models Prof. Brigham explained that
they were welded somewhat like the
Hawaiian spear in warding off blows.
There are some very rare baskets on
view. The Director paid $40 for one
Of them, the collector parting with IL y
almost to tears
A crystal of smoke quartz was given t
to Prof. Brigham by one of the ola c