gS AVOYAGETO 



>777- with bread-fruir, arc, what may be called, the bafis of 



|aly. ^ ^ 



their f-ood, at diilerent times of the year, with fifli and 

 faeir-Iiih ; for hogi, fowls, and turtle, feem only to be 

 occafional dainties, refcrved for their Chiefs. The in- 

 tervals between the feafons of thcfe vegetable produc- 

 tions mull be, fometimes, conliderable, as they prepare a 

 fort of artificial bread from plantains, which they put under 

 ground before ripe, and fufFcr them to remain, till they 

 ferment, when they are taken out, and made up into fmall 

 balls ; but fo four and indifferent, that they often faid our 

 bread was preferable, though fomewhat mufty. 



Their food is, generally, drefTed by baking, in the fame 

 manner as at Otaheite ; and they have the art of making, 

 from different kinds of fruit, feveral difhes, which moil of 

 us efteemed very good. I never faw them make ufe of any 

 kind of fauce ; nor drink any thing at their meals but 

 water, or the juice of the cocoa-nut ; for the kava is only 

 their morning draught. I cannot fay, that they are cleanly 

 either in their cookery, or manner of eating. The gene- 

 rality of them will lay their vi(5luals upon the firll leaf 

 they meet with, however dirty it may be ; but when food is 

 ferved up to the Chiefs, it is, commonly, laid upon green 

 plantain leaves. When the king made a meal, he was, for 

 the mofl part, attended upon by three or four perfons. One 

 cut large pit^ces of the joint, or of the fiflii another divided it 

 into mouthfuls ; and others flood by with cocoa-nuts, and 

 whatever elfe he might want. I never faw a large com- 

 pany fit down to what v/e fhould call a fociable meal, by 

 eating from the fame difli. The food, be what it will, is al- 

 ways divided into portions, each to ferve a certain number; 

 thefe portions are again fubdivided ; fo that one feldom fees 

 above two or three perfons eating together. The women 

 X are 



