Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-06-14
FORESTS AIDED
PRIMITIVE Man
Dependence on Wood Prod
ucts of Hawaiian Is Told
by Forestry Chief.

played by forest products in the daily
life of the primitive native Ia de-
scribed by Charles s. Judd. superin-
tendent Of forestry of the territory
Of Hawaii, who tells Of the skill they
employ In converting plant growths
into useful articles with the aid only
OF patience, fire, stone and muscle.
Even before Captain Cook landed
there the Hawaiians were making
their means Of transportation. their
weapons Of defense, and objects for
their bodily comfort, pleasure and re-
ligious observances out of wood.
"The outstanding feat of the primi-
tive Hawaiian was the manufacture
Of the outrigger canoe, which was built
so substantially and so seaworthy that
voyages of thousands of miles across
the open sea were made In 1t with
comparative safety" says Superin-
tendent Judd. Materials from at
least thirteen different trees and
plants were necessary to construct the
dugout canoe completely. The body
was usually followed from the stem
of the koa. largest and most suitable
tree for this purpose. although less
durable and satisfactory dugouts
were fashioned from the ohia ha,
hreadfruit and kukai. The smallness
Of the available logs was offset by
building up the gunwale. or rim. OF
the canoes with the soft yellow wood
NJ the ahakea, and this wood and that
of the aiea were carved into pieces
that adorned the bow and stem OF
every oldtime canoe to prevent the sea
from pouring in.
Wood Hard as Metal.
1.-The primitive Hawaiian was forced
to exercise his ingenuity in the inven-
rion Of the outrlgger because the small
size of the logs made the canoes un-
stable. The outrigger consisted Of
piece of c0rky wiliwili wood smaller
han the canoe in both dimensions, but
shaped so as to cut the water. and
was fastened parallel to the body of
the canoe by two carved pieces OF
curved hau wood. In the absence Of
a breeze the canoe was propelled by
paddles made of kOa, kOaia, and
ahakea. When a coat of black paint,
made from the bark Of the kukui and
from the SCOT Of burned kukui nuts.
had been smeared on with kukui nut
Ill, the result was strong, safe and
nayigable craft exhibiting all the
fine elements Of finished workman
ship"
Superintendent Judd states that
some of the Hawaiian woods are so
slow-grow wing, hard and heavy that
they have almost the properties Of
metal. 1t was from such woods that
the natives of the period of strenuous
inter-island warfare fashioned their
spears from the hard parts Of the ma
tive fanpalm, and from the alahee
they made an adze for cutting soft
woods such as the wiliwili and kukui.
Before they made matches they rubbed
a sharp clomea stick in a groove of
the softer hau wood rntil a spark
was produced which could be blown
into flame.
Make Cloth, Dyes and Perfume.
"When the primitive Hawaiian be-
came addicted to clothing he had to
make his own garments out of the
only material available-the inner
bark Of trees and shrubs" said Su-
perintendent Judd. 'The products Of
20 different species of trees or plants
were employed in the manufacture Of
bark cloth, or tapa. The most popular
bark was obtained from mulberry
trees; but the bark Of several other
trees, including the native raspberry,
was also employed. The olona fiber
was made into cords and threads for
sewing the tapa together. The male
blossom of the breadfruit was mixed
with the fiber of the wauke in making
rare kind of tapa. The finished
product, when made in the laboriOus
manner that was necessary, was a
,lain white cloth bleached In the sun.
1.-THE plain cloth was sometimes
ornamented with decorative designs
imposed by various methods. The
hbrous ends of the seed Of the hala
tree were used as brushes in applying
the dyes obtained by the Hawaiians
from various sources. The bark Of
the ohia ha, charcoal of the kolea,
leaves of the alahee, and the juice of
the fleshy covering of the kukui nut
furnished a black dye: blue dye
came from the leaves and bark of the
olapa; for yellow the bark and roots
Of the yellow pulp of the fruit Of the
manu-, or indigenous gardenia were
used, and a red dye was obtained from
the leaves of the k0u and Of the palaa
fern, and the bark of the nOni. To
correct the rather unpleasant odor of
the raw tapa perfume was made by
putting the leaves or twigs Of certain
plants between it's folds. SandalwOod
and native ginger were sometimes
used for this purpose, but the favOrite
odor was from the mokihana, obtained
on the Island Of Kauai, whose capsules
have the permanent OdOr of anise.
Priceless Feather Capes.
"Plant products also furnished the
necessary adjuncts for the now price
less feather capes which were worn b,