Figure 159.—Pitching disc mats (Bishop Mus., C2866). a, two split leaflet midribs, 540 mm. and 510 mm. long, each carrying 14 leaflets, were placed with butt ends 270 mm. apart and leaned outward so that opposing leaflets crossed diagonally at right angles. Starting from bottom, crossing leaflets were plaited in check. When each leaflet reached opposite midrib, it was doubled back over last leaflet crossed, tucked under crossing wefts on back for about 220 mm., and ends cut off. Thus lowest dextral (1) was doubled back over ninth sinistral (9′) and lowest sinistral (1′) was doubled back over eighth dextral (8). Plaiting proceeded upward with each weft fixed as in 2, 10′, and 2′, 9. At last wefts on either side, distal end border is formed, b, distal finish: plaiting could be continued until end wefts (14, 14′) met in a long point, but in this mat, Mangaians chose a shorter serrated edge with four points. End dextral (14) was accordingly engaged with five sinistrals, three (1, 3, 5) passing over it and two (2, 4) under it in a continuation of the check plait. Fifth sinistral (5) was doubled back over end dextral (14) and then end dextral (14) was doubled back on its own course which thus locked point (1′′) so formed. Remaining sinistrals (1-4) were doubled over end dextral (14) and with fifth dextral (5), all were tucked under crossing wefts on back to fix them. End sinistral (14′) engaged five dextrals in a similar technique, the point (2′′) being locked. Two pairs of wefts remained, and in each pair sinistral was doubled back over dextral and then dextral over doubled back part of sinistral to form two locked points (3′′, 4′′). c, filling in lower spaces: reference to a shows that there are three triangular areas at lower end of figure that would be better filled in to provide an even surface; on left, between two lowest crossing wefts (1 and 1′), a similar space on right, and open triangle below them. Right triangle was filled in by introducing four separate leaflets (1-4) and check plaiting them with uncrossed sinistrals on that side, commencing with highest (1) and running parallel with previous plaiting. Tip ends of introduced leaflets are tied together on underside of mat in a reef knot and their butt ends project beyond lowest sinistral. d, lowest new weft (4) was given a half under turn to become a sinistral and plaited in check with uncrossed dextrals forming left triangle. Its butt end crossed the seventh dextral (7) and was simply turned back on under surface without bothering to tuck it under crossing wefts. e, remaining three wefts were similarly treated in the order 3, 2, and 1 and so the three triangles were closed in a simple but ingenious manner. Total length of mat, 635 mm. greatest width, 395 mm.