1777* THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 14 



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very large potatoe or yam, and good when in its grow- 

 ing state ; but, when old, is full of hard stringy fibres. 

 They then eat two other roots ; one not unlike taro ; 

 and lastly, the ehoee. This is of two sorts ; one of 

 them possessing deleterious qualities, which obliges 

 them to slice and macerate it in water a night be- 

 fore they bake and eat it. In this respect, it re- 

 sembles the cassava root of the West Indies ; but it 

 forms a very insipid, moist paste, in the manner they 

 dress it. However, I have seen them eat it at times, 

 when no such scarcity reigned. Both this and the 

 patarra are creeping plants ; the last, with ternate 

 leaves. 



Of animal food, a very small portion falls, at any 

 time, to the share of the lower class of people ; and 

 then it is either fish, sea eggs, or other marine pro- 

 ductions ; for they seldom or ever eat pork. The 

 Eree de hoi * alone is able to furnish pork every day ; 

 and inferior chiefs, according to their riches, once a 

 week, fortnight, or month. Sometimes they are not 

 even allowed that ; for, when the island is impover- 

 ished by war, or other causes, the chief prohibits his 

 subjects to kill any hogs j and this prohibition, we 

 were told, is in force sometimes for several months, 

 or even for a year or two. During that restraint, 

 the hogs multiply so fast, that there are instances of 

 their changing their domestic state, and turning wild. 

 When it is thought proper to take off the prohibition, 

 all the chiefs assemble at the king's place of abode ; 

 and each brings with him a present of hogs. The 

 king then orders some of them to be killed, on 

 which they feast 5 and, after that, every one returns 

 home with liberty to kill what he pleases for his own 

 use. Such a prohibition was actually in force, on 

 our arrival here ; at least, in all those districts of the 



* Mr. Anderson invariably, in his manuscript, writes Eree de 

 hoi. According to Captain Cook's mode, it is Eree rahie. This 

 is one of the numerous instances that perpetually occur, of our 

 people's representing the same word differently. 



