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Show Queer Decoys. For Fishing. "Lau melomelo" is what the Hawaiian fishermen call this decoy. It is made of the hardest wood to be found on the islands, and is carved and rubbed till it assumes the shape of a club with a little knob at the smaller end to which the line is tied. The club is from 1 to 3 feet long. A village sorcerer performs certain rites over it over a sacred fire. After this is done the club is magic and the fisherman must he extremely careful of it. If a woman should step over it or enter a canoe ca-noe in which it lies, the club would forever for-ever lose all its power and be useless ever afterward. After the club has been charmed, the fisherman mixes candlpnut and cocoanut meat, bakes it. and ties the mixture in a wrapper of cocoanut fiber. . At the fishing grounds the club is cov-erod cov-erod with the oily juice of th? stuff and is then lowered carefully to the 'bottom.-The 'bottom.-The scent of the baked nut meat attracts certain kinds of fish, which soon gather nnd begin to nibble at the club. As soon as enough fish are around the decoy 'a small bag-shaped net is lowered verv E-enuy untu us moutn Is just over th" club. The latter is then. pulled up carefully care-fully and cunningly till it is withir the bag. The fish are so eager for the stuff with which the club is covered that they follow it into the net without fear. As soon a' all the fish are in it a fisherman dives and closes the mouth of the net, whereupon the rest haul- it up quickly. |