Chap, xiii.] KAAVA DRINKING. 269 



men. Great satisfaction must be derived by Polynesians from 

 the use of kaava, or it would not have been so universally 

 upheld as a drink amongst them, nor would its use have 

 become associated as it is with an elaborate ceremonial. 



Usually, when the party with which I travelled in the large 

 island of Fiji entered a village, the chief of the village made a 

 request, as an offer of hospitality, that we would drink kaava 

 with him ; and we sat on his right and left hand at the head of 

 the circle, or rather long loop, formed by those present on such 

 occasions. At the bottoms of the two sides of the loop were 

 seated the servants, or a few of the lower orders of the village, 

 who crawled in crouching and cringing, expressing their humi- 

 lity before the chief in the most ostentatious manner, looking 

 indeed, sometimes, as if they were really half afraid to come 

 at all. 



The kaava is prepared at the opposite end of the loop from 

 that at which the chief sits. Young men with good teeth are 

 chosen to do the chewing, and they pay great regard to clean- 

 liness, rinsing their mouths and hands carefully with water 

 before they commence their task. There is a considerable 

 amount of knack to be acquired in the chewing of the kaava 

 root. If it is well chewed very little saliva should be mixed 

 with it, and it should be produced from the mouth in an 

 almost dry round mass about as large as the mouth can 

 contain. 



The masses produced by several chewers are mixed with 

 water and the infusion is strained, as has been often described. 

 The bowl is placed in front of the chief It is a four- 

 legged wooden bowl cut out of a single block. It has a string 

 of cocoanut fibre fastened to it underneath to a loop cut in 

 the wood. By this string the bowl, when not in use, is hung 

 up against the wall in the chief's house. AVhen the prepared 

 bowl is placed before the chief it must always be so turned 

 that the string is directed away from him. The chief is served 

 first in his own private cocoanut shell. Then the others 

 present, in order of their rank and position of their seats, 

 receive shells full. We were always served immediately after 

 the chief. It is the correct thing to drink off the cocoanut- 

 shell full at a draught, and then spin the cup on its pointed end 

 on the mat in front'of one and say " Amava," or a word soundmg 

 closely like this, meaning, I was told, " it is emptied " ; in fact, 

 " no heel taps." After the chief has drunk, the company all 

 clap their hands in token of respect. 



A considerable quantity of kaava, of a strength such as that 

 of the infusion ordinarily drunk at Fiji, must be taken m 

 order to produce intoxication ; but I have known a single 



