530 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



imitating their expressions and 

 pronunciations. The family of 

 Duatonga, if they spoke to any of 

 the domestics or visitors, would al- 

 ways be answered, " Ahee;" "Yes, 

 sire," but most others were an- 

 swered with "Cohou," " Yes, sir;" 

 this latter term, if pronounced as 

 it is spelt, would be a polite reply, 

 but if spoken as if it was spelt 

 Cohaa, it would be very vulgar, 

 and signify our broad expression, 

 " What ;" if spoken to a chief, 

 the man would be struck down 

 for his rudeness. 



Their nocturnal conversations 

 would continue till ten or eleven 

 in the evening, till they all fell 

 asleep. Their conversation and 

 comparisons were sometimes so 

 very droll and ludicrous, that I 

 occasionally burst out into a fit of 

 laughter, which would make them 

 say, " Coe Kata gee aha Balo," 

 "Whatareyou laughingat, Balo?" 

 " Mannogge abai eyette ge mou 

 touloo." " He is making game of 

 us, I suppose." They called me 

 by the name of Balo. 



If one chanced during the night 

 to awake, he would renew the 

 conversation with some neighbour 

 that happened to rouse, and then 

 they would call to each other till 

 they all awaked, and enjoy another 

 hour's chat. 



As soon as the morning dawn- 

 ed they arose ; and then took 

 place the important ceremony of 

 drinking kava, and eating yams, 

 &c. which formed their breakfast ; 

 in which as much order and exact- 

 ness was observed, as in the form- 

 ing and exercising a regiment of 

 soldiers. The kava is a root 

 planted principally for the use of 

 the chiefs, and too scarce for the 

 lower orders. 



It is made into a spirit of an in- 



toxicating nature. The top and 

 branches of this plant are thrown 

 away. The root alone is used, 

 and this is of a soft nature, that 

 may be beaten to pieces. The root 

 is first scraped with a shell, and 

 rubbed clean with the rough husk 

 of the cocoa-nut, and then divided 

 among the company, to be pre- 

 pared for making the liquor. 



A large circle is formed by the 

 whole company, all sitting in the 

 sameposture, with their legs cross- 

 ed. The chief sits at the head of 

 it. On each side of him are sta- 

 tioned the tackhangers,orrinisters 

 of the chief, to superintend the pre- 

 paration of the kava. The kava 

 is then brought before the chief. 

 The person who is to mix it, by 

 order of the tackhangers, then 

 splits the root into small pieces 

 with a flat piece of wood, or whale- 

 bone, which they procure from 

 the bodies of dead whales that are 

 sometimes thrown upon the coast. 

 The pieces of kava root thus 

 split, are then distributed amongst 

 the circle, who hand tiiem to the 

 young people among them who 

 have clean teeth, fit to chew it. 

 Each person has a leaf by him, 

 on which he lays his portion of 

 masticated kava-root. When it is 

 all chewed, a large bowl with three 

 legs is handed round, and they 

 empty their leaves, containing the 

 prepared kava-root, into it. The 

 bowl is then placed within the 

 circle, opposite the chief; and 

 on each side of it are seated two 

 young men, with plantain leaves, 

 to keep off the flies. The person 

 who has the management of the 

 bowl having received the different 

 portions of masticated root, turns 

 it on one side to show it to the 

 tackhangers, and with his face to- 

 wards the chief, calls out to the 



