THE IIAAYAIIAX PEOPLE. 67 



mass would continue for an hour or more. With careful manipulation the roots 

 were thus reduced to a sticky, dough-like mass. As the pounding proceeded, 

 water was .judiciously added to prevent the mass, in the form called paiai. from 

 sticking to the stone pestle. When it was sufficiently smooth and firm it was 

 removed from the board and at once made into poi by thinning with water to 

 whatever consistency was desired; or made into good-sized bundles wrapped 

 with ki leaves. In this way the paiai could lie kept for months at a time and 

 was often shipped from place to place. It was in this condition, in all proba- 

 bility, that taro formed one of the chief stores made use of by the natives in 

 their long voyages. 



Whenever poi was required a portion of the doughy mass, paiai, was put 

 in a calabash and thinned with water. It was ready for use in a few hours 

 after the water was added, but the natives preferred it after it had soured, or 

 worked, for a day or more. 



Poi was eaten by thrusting the forefinger of the right hand into the mass 

 and securing as much as would adhere to the finger, and then passing the food 

 from the bowl to the mouth by a neat revolving motion of the hand and finger. 

 The native name for the forefinger signifies the "poi finger.' For this reason 

 it was quite the custom to gi-ade poi as one-finger poi, two-finger poi, and so on, 

 thereby indicating its consistency. When ready to be eaten a dozen or more 

 natives might surround one calabash and greedily dip up its contents, sucking 

 their fingers and smacking their lips in a state of obvious enjojTnent. Usually 

 they finished the entire allowance at one sitting, only to fall asleep afterwards — 

 "full and satisfied.- Poi was occasionally mixed with the tender meat of the 

 coeoanut, and was specially prepared for the sick in several ways. Baked taro 

 also makes an excellent vegetable, and the leaves of the plant, as well as the stems 

 and flowers were cooked and greatly relished by the natives. 



Sweet Potatoes and Yams. 



Next to the taro, sweet potatoes and yams were the most important food 

 plants grown in the islands. ]\Iany varieties, accurately described and named 

 by the natives, were in general cultivation. They thrived in the drier localities 

 and were eaten raw, baked or roasted. They were also made into a kind of poi. 

 Poi and sweet potatoes were fed to their pigs and dogs to fatten them, and ani- 

 mals cared for in this way were regarded as particularly delicious by the Ha- 

 waiians of a century ago. 



Bre.vdfruit and Bananas. 



The breadfi-uit was much used as a food by the natives, after being cooked 

 in their ovens or roasted in an open fire. It was pounded into a delicious poi 

 as well. The natives were very skillful in growing this delicate plant, 

 which was propagated by root cuttings. Bananas were also cultivated by them 

 and eaten both i-aw and cooked. Sugar-cane, calabash gourds, the paper mul- 

 berry, olona, ki, cocoanuts and awa were among the useful plants formerly 

 grown by the Hawaiians. 



