128 VOYAGE TO THE 



must be brought from the hills, and sometimes to 

 till the ground, their strength is in proportion to 

 their muscularity ; and they are no less at home in 

 the water than the men. 



The food of the islanders consists almost entirely 

 of vegetable substances. On particular occasions, 

 such as marriages or christenings, or when visited by 

 a ship, they indulge in pork, fowls, and fish. Al- 

 though, as has already been mentioned, they disco- 

 vered a method of distilling a spirit from the tee- 

 root, the miseries it entailed on them have taught 

 them to discontinue the use of it, and to confine 

 themselves strictly to water, of which, during meals, 

 they partake freely, but they seldom use it at other 

 times. The spirit, which was first distilled by 

 M'Coy, and led to such fatal consequences, bears 

 some affinity to peat-reeked whisky. 



The treatment of their children differs from that 

 of our own country, as the infant is bathed three 

 times a day in cold water, and is sometimes not 

 weaned for three or four years ; but as soon as that 

 takes place it is fed upon " popoe," made with ripe 

 plantains and boiled taro rubbed into a paste. Upon 

 this simple nourishment children are reared to a more 

 healthy state than in other countries, and are free 

 from fevers and other complaints peculiar to the 

 greater portion of the world. Mr. Collie remarks in 

 his journal, that nothing is more extraordinary in the 

 history of the island than the uniform good health of 

 the children ; the teething is easily got over, they 

 have no bowel complaints, and are exempt from 

 those contagious diseases which affect children in 

 large communities. He offered to vaccinate the 

 children as well as all the grown persons ; but they 



