Page:Pounamu, notes on New Zealand greenstone (IA pounamunotesonne00robl).djvu/80

76 round the wearer’s neck. The tiki was firmly fixed to the kaui by its own separate fastening, which was a loop passing through the suspension hole and made of the wiry fibre of the toi or mountain palm (cordyline indivisa), a material of very great strength obtained from the outer part of the mid-rib (tuaka)

of the palm leaf. This fastening fairly filled the perforation, to prevent, as far as possible, friction of the stone. The kaui with the tiki so attached by its fibrous fastening had at one end a small loop, and at the other a toggle about two inches long, called puau if made of wood, or poro toroa if of albatross bone. The cord being now clasped by toggle and loop about the wearer’s neck the hei-tiki lay suspended as is shewn in Figure 51.