270 



Firi ISLANDS. 



cocoanut-shell of strong Fijian kaava make an Englishman, 

 unaccustomed to the drink, feel a little dizzy and shaky about 

 the legs. There is a very great difference in the strength of 

 kaava, depending very much on whether the portion of the 

 root employed is young or old, and of course on the amount 

 of water employed. 



The infusion of the pepper-root is not allowed to stand so as 

 to ferment, but some change probably is effected in the active 

 principles by the action of saliva, for grated kaava, which is 

 now used in Tonga, by order of the missionaries, as a sub- 

 stitute for the chewed preparation, is not so good as the latter. 



FIJIAN STONE ADZES. 

 Showing two methods in which the blades are mounted. 



I have known three-quarters of an ordinary tumblerful of 

 Awa (the Hawaian form of the Polynesian name for the drink), 

 of extra strength specially prepared by an old woman in Hawai, 

 Sandwich Islands, make an Englishman intoxicated within ten 

 minutes of the time at which it was drunk. 



The effects are very like those of alcohol, in that the gait 

 becomes very unsteady, and the slightest touch sends the 

 person affected off his balance. An elation of spirits is pro- 

 duced also, but apparently no drowsiness. 



At Bureta I was able to buy, for sixpence each, a dozen stone 

 adzes, such as were used for canoe making in the Fijian group, 

 before iron implements were imported. The adze blades are 

 of basalt. They are l)ound to the handles with twisted or 



