352 cook's voyage to .tune, 



expressed from the bark of a tree called kakka, which 

 they rub briskly upon the piece that is making. 

 This at once leaves a dull brown colour, and a dry 

 gloss upon its surface ; the stamp, at the same time, 

 making a slight impression, that answers no other 

 purpose that I could see but to make the several 

 pieces that are glued together stick a little more 

 firmly. In this manner they proceed, joining and 

 staining by degrees, till they produce a piece of cloth 

 of such length and breadth as they want ; generally 

 leaving a border of a foot broad at the sides, and 

 longer at the ends, unstained. Throughout the 

 whole, if any parts of the original pieces are too thin, 

 or have holes, which is often the case, they glue spare 

 bits upon them, till they become of an equal thick- 

 ness. When they want to produce a black colour, 

 they mix the soot procured from an oily nut called 

 dooedooe, with the juice of the kokka, in different 

 quantities, according to the proposed depth of the 

 tinge. They say that the black sort of cloth, which 

 is commonly most glazed, makes a cold dress, but the 

 other a warm one ; and, to obtain strength in both, 

 they are always careful to join the small pieces 

 lengthwise, which makes it impossible to tear the 

 cloth in any direction but one. 



On our return from the country we met with 

 Feenou, and took him and another young chief on 

 board to dinner. When our fare was set upon the 

 table, neither of them would eat a bit, saying that 

 they were taboo avy. But, after enquiring how the 

 victuals had been dressed, having found that no cwy 

 (water) had been used in cooking a pig and some 

 yams, they both sat down and made a very hearty meal; 

 and, on being assured that there was no water in the 

 wine, they drank of it also. From this we conjec- 

 tured that, on some account or another, they were, 

 at this time, forbidden to use water ; or, which was 

 more probable, they did not like the water we made 

 use of, it being taken up out of one of their bathing 



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