A HISTORY OF FIJI 43 



face and covered his hair with lime. The little finger of his right 

 hand had been severed at the first joint as an indication of mourning 

 upon the death of his grandfather Tanoa. 



He was every inch a king seated in his chair with the noblest of 

 his race crouching silently around him. Whenever he smoked a cigar 

 he condescendingly nodded to some high chief who crawled humbly toward 

 him on hands and knees, delighted at the honor of " finishing the butt." 



When he dined, a clean new mat was unrolled upon the floor, and 

 then men and women came crawling in on hands and knees, bearing 

 food for the god-like one, who sat tailor-fashion upon the floor. No 

 commoner ate in the presence of the king, and least of all would the 

 women of his household have presumed to such familiarity. The menu 

 of one dinner at which the author was a guest consisted in an excellent 

 fish chowder served in cocoanut bowls, and yams placed upon four-legged 

 wooden platters, all scrupulously clean and cooked to tempt the palate 

 of the most fastidious epicure. Our plates were banana leaves, and 

 fingers served in lieu of knives and forks. Cups, etc., used by the 

 king are tabu and must not be used by others. The courtiers remained 

 silent while the meal was in progress, only softly clapping hands when 

 the king addressed any of their number. After dinner a bowl of water 

 was placed before the king and the natives again clapped respectfully 

 while he washed his hands. 



Even before the advent of the white man, cooking was a high art in 

 Fiji. In fact, these natives had little to learn from us in this direc- 

 tion. Their pottery enabled them to boil or steam their food, and in 

 addition they made use of the oven. This, consists in a stone-lined pit 

 within which a wood fire is made. Then, when the stones have become 

 red hot the embers are raked away and the food; pigs, fish, vegetables, 

 etc., are placed within the oven, having previously been wrapped in 

 Tahitian chestnut or bread-fruit leaves, or in the case of man in the 

 leaves of Solatium anthropophagorum, a plant allied to the potato. 

 The food is then covered thickly with juicy green leaves which in turn 

 are blanketed with earth. After a few hours all within the oven be- 

 comes so thoroughly baked that the ribs of pigs may be torn off and the 

 flesh eaten as in America we do corn upon the cob. 



Canoes laden with tribute (lala), for Eatu Epele were constantly 

 arriving at Mbau. These offerings varied with the tribe, for each was 

 charged to bring certain things. Thus one canoe might be laden with 

 great bundles of yams, another with husked cocoanuts tied into bunches, 

 or with yaqona root, turtles, masi, mats, etc. The greatest care was 

 taken in the preparation of the tribute, and, in fact, the natives in- 

 variably gave the best they had. 



Those who brought tribute carried it humbly to the door of the 

 king's house and crouched close to the wall outside, softly and plead- 



