Note 106 — CONTENTS. (continued 3)

The axe used for cutting in the olden times was a stone adze ground until sharp, tied to a handle; when cutting, dig and put away the dirt so that the roots would show, then hew it down. It would take one man almost a week to fell a tree; if many hands at work it could be felled in two days. Nowadays we have iron axes, and because of their sharpness a tree can easily be cut down. A strong man can cut down a koa tree106 in half an hour. When the tree is felled some more prayers are offered to the gods before shaping it into a canoe. After shaping it up107 and making it light it is hauled down and placed inside of a place prepared for it. After three months or more, the finishing touches are put on and the other parts attached.