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Samoan Material Culture

Five-ply braid

Five-ply braid

Five-ply sennit braid ('afa tua lima) is made for hand trolling lines and other purposes where fine braid is needed. Some braids are thin and finely made (Plate XX, B, 6), others thicker and stronger (Plate XX, B, 7). The technique is again similar to that used in making three-ply, except that the outer ply from either side crosses two plies, instead of one, in passing over to the middle position. (See figure 135.)

A five-ply braid made from fau songa is shown in Plate XVIII, C, 6. The specimen figured is reported from Samoa but I did not see any in use. page 245In Tonga this type of thicker braid is used with the trolling hooks which are larger than bonito hooks. In Samoa, large trolling hooks (fa tangi) were used and it is presumed that the fau songa braid was used with them. Five-ply braids are thicker at the sides than in the middle.

Figure 134.—Four-ply braid:

Figure 134.—Four-ply braid:

a, ply (2) is crossed over (1) and ply (3) coming in from the right crosses over (2); b, a fourth ply (4) is crossed over from the left; c, the outside ply on the right (2) is crossed to the middle by passing over ply 4; d, the outside ply (1) is crossed over the two plies (3 and 2) to the middle. This establishes the technique. The outside ply on the right crosses over one ply to the middle while the outside ply on the left crosses over two plies. This is done alternately. e, The continuation results in the appearance shown. The appearance is very like three-ply braid except that on one side the braid is slightly wider from the mesial crossings owing to the elements crossing two plies. The middle position has been referred to and while not strictly accurate, the sense is obvious.