Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/252

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CTTlin] HAWAIIAN GAMES 219

one bird avoided the other, he was considered as vt\ or beaten. Victory was declared in favor of his opponent, and they were immediately parted. This amusement was sometimes continued for several days successively, and, as well as the other recreations, was patronized by their idols. Ruaifaatoa, the god of cock-fighters, appears among the earliest of their inferior divinities."

J. Stanley Gardiner ! says of Rotuma : " The chiefs used to breed a small cock, somewhat similar to the Malayan fowl ; great care was taken in the feeding, and the spur was especially sharp- ened and oiled. Usually pigs were put up on both sides, and went to the conquerors."

35. Ho-pu-ho-pu-na-lo : " DRAGONFLY-CATCHING."— Children catch dragonflies, pi-nau, in a net, crying out the number, one, two, three, four, and so on, as they catch them. The one who first gets ten wins. All then stop, and putting the dragonflies in their handkerchiefs, count " one, two, three," and release them.

36. Le-le-pi-nau : " DRAGONFLY-FLYING." — Children catch dragonflies and tie them to a string to see which can fly farthest.

37. Au-waa-lau-ki : " LEAF -CANOES." — Children fold up ki (Dracena terminalis) leaves and sail them (Andrews). The name is derived from au-waa, a fleet, and lau-ki, the leaf of the ki plant.

Ellis* describes Tahitian children constructing small canoes boats, or ships, and floating them in the sea. " Although they are rude in appearance," he says, " and soon destroyed, many of the boys display uncommon ingenuity in constructing this kind of toy. The hull is usually made with a piece of light wood of the hibiscus, the cordage of bark, and the sails either of the leaf- lets of the cocoanut, or the native cloth. They usually fix a stone to the bottom of the little barks, which keeps them upright."

38. Kii-pe-pe : " DOLLS." — Little girls make dolls out of stones which they wrap in banana leaves.

39. Pe-pa pa-a-ni : "PAPER PLAY." — Children fold paper (/r-

1 yournal Anthropological Institute % vol. XXVII, p. 486.

  • Vol. I, p. 227.

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