a
reference to the alleged early practice of the ancient Hawaiians using a coconut shell or
gourd for
navigation. Four holes were pierced in the shell at
points an equal distance from the rim. Every night a
navigator would
fill the shell with water,
hold it in such a
position that it didn't spill water, and
look through one of the holes. He would site the
position of
stars in the sky by looking through the holes in the shell. The location of the
stars as seen in relation to the opposite rim of the shell told the
navigator when to
change course.