CHARACTERS. 



/)3l 



tackhangcrs, " Gooch kava ana- 

 ma. " All the kava is chewed." 



If the tackhangers judge that 

 there is sufficient for the company 

 they say " Baloo," " mix it," Then 

 one of the persons holding the fans 

 of plantain branches, pours water 

 out of cocoa-nut shells, which stand 

 near them in readiness, while the 

 other keeps off the flies. As he 

 pours, the tackhangcrnotesand re- 

 gulates the quantity, and at length 

 calls out, " Moua," i. e. " stop." 



The root, thus chewed and mix- 

 ed with water, is then squeezed by 

 handfuls held up for the tackhang- 

 ers to judge of the strength of 

 the liquor, as it falls into the dish : 

 if it appears sufficiently strong, a 

 strainer is brought, made of the 

 inner bark of a tree, which, when 

 scraped thin and fine, and well 

 washed, is laid out to dry, and 

 becomes very white and clean. 

 With this th.ey strain tiie liquor 

 from the masticated kava-root. 

 When they have repeated the 

 straining three or four times, and 

 perfectly cleansed it, the person 

 who sits by the bowl calls out 

 *' Tooma kava," the " kava is 

 clean." During this time, the 

 compan)', who are sitting in silence, 

 are not idle : they form dishes in 

 a curious and skilful manner of 

 plantain leaves. As soon as the 

 kava is ready, appointed persons 

 rise from the circle with their 

 plantain dishes, and approach the 

 bowl. The man who mixed it, 

 then takes up a large strainer full, 

 and another holds his dish under- 

 neath, over the great bowl, till it 

 is filled. The former then calls 

 out, •* Kava go aga ;" ** Whose is 

 this kava?" The tackhanger re- 

 plies, " Havee ge Dabou." " Take 

 it to Dabou," or to any other per- 

 son whose name was mentioned. 



In this way the name of every one 

 of the company is repeated before 

 he is served. The person whose 

 name is pronounced then claps his 

 hands, and the waiter, by this sig- 

 nal informed which it is, takes the 

 kava to him. The persons serv- 

 ing it out to the company conduct 

 themselves in the most becoming 

 and orderly manner, arranging 

 thtir apparel with the greatest 

 neatness, walking with grace, and 

 presenting it with ceremonious 

 politeness. If a man were to con- 

 duct himself with the least disorder 

 ordisrespectjthechief would order 

 him to be struck down. When 

 they present thekava to Duatonga, 

 or any of his family, all of vvhom 

 are considered sacred, they must 

 sit down cross-legged before they 

 deliver it out of their hands. 



During the preparation of the 

 kava, the Tomaagce, or principal 

 servants of the chief, are busily 

 employed in an out-house, built 

 for the purpose, in baking yams. 

 These, as soon as ready, they bring 

 in baskets,made ofentwined leaves, 

 and lay them before the chief and 

 the circle -cf his guests, as far as 

 they go. They eat these yams 

 after drinking the kava, and dur- 

 ing their meal talk with each other 

 as they please, on differentsubjects. 



Whenever the lower orders can 

 procure the kava they always 

 drink it in companies in this festive 

 manner; in which they often spend 

 the two or three first hours of the 

 morning. They have this pleasure, 

 however, but seldom, as the chiefs 

 generally exact it of them, to 

 drink it with their brother chiefs 

 and their attendants. They exer- 

 cise an arbitrary power over the 

 lower orders, and have everything 

 belonging to them in their power, 

 which their sub-officers take from 



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