Smaller than the
average hook, it represented an excellent object-lesson in patience and
skill. Many other examples, some complete, have since been found, and
have been arranged for illustration to exhibit the process of
construction in several stages. Do they not confirm the opinion that the
maker of shell fish-hooks suffered many mishaps and disappointments, and
that he had high courage in discarding any that evidenced a fault?
The method of manufacture was to reduce by chipping with a sharp-edged
piece of quartz a portion of a black-lip mother-of-pearl shell to a disc.
A central hole was then chipped--not bored or drilled--with another tool
of quartz. The hole was gradually enlarged by the use of a terminal of
one of the staghorn corals (MADEPORA LAXA) until a ring had been formed.
Then a segment was cut away, leaving a rough crescent, which was ground
down with coral files, and the ends sharpened by rubbing on smooth
slate.
Discs were also cut out of gold-lip mother-of-pearl shell, but by what
means there is no evidence to tell. When such a prize as a gold-lip
shell was found, it was used to the last possible fragment. Most
frequently the black-lip mother-of-pearl was the material whence the
hooks were fashioned, and, when none other was available, the hammer
oyster.
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