144 cook's voyage to dec. 



island that are immediately under the direction of 

 Otoo. And, lest it should have prevented our going 

 to Matavai after leaving Oheitepeha, he sent a message 

 to assure us, that it should be taken off as soon as 

 the ships arrived there. With respect to us, we found 

 it so ; but we made such a consumption of them, 

 that, I have no doubt, it would be laid on again as 

 soon as we sailed. A similar prohibition is also, 

 sometimes extended to fowls. 



It is also amongst the better sort that the ava is 

 chiefly used. But this beverage is prepared some- 

 what differently from that which we saw so much of 

 at the Friendly Islands. For they pour a very small 

 quantity of water upon the root here ; and sometimes 

 roast or bake, and bruise the stalks, without chewing 

 it previously to its infusion. They also use the leaves 

 of the plant here, which are bruised, and water poured 

 upon them, as upon the root. Large companies do 

 not assemble to drink it, in that sociable way which 

 is practised at Tongataboo. But its pernicious effects 

 are more obvious here ; perhaps owing to the man- 

 ner of preparing it ; as we often saw instances of its 

 intoxicating, or rather stupifying powers. Some of 

 us, who had been at these islands before, were sur- 

 prised to find many people, who, when we saw T them 

 last, were remarkable tor their size and corpulency, 

 now almost reduced to skeletons ; and, upon inquir- 

 ing into the cause of this alteration, it was universally 

 allowed to be the use of the ava. The skins of these 

 people were rough, dry, and covered with scales ; 

 which, they say, every now and then fall off, and 

 their skin is, as it were, renewed. As an excuse for 

 a practice so destructive, they allege that it is 

 adopted to prevent their growing too fat ; but it evi- 

 dently enervates them ; and in all probability short- 

 ens their days. As its effects had not been so visible 

 during our former visits, it is not unlikely that this 

 article of luxury had never been so much abused as 



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