126 THE CRUISE OF THE ' CUBArOA.' 



ill the bowl, the inside of which thus becomes studded over 

 with :i hirge luimber of these separate little masses. The 

 man who has to make the grog takes the bowl by the edge 

 and tilts it towards the king, or, in his absence, to the chief 

 ap23ointed to preside. A herald calls the king's attention to 

 the slanting bowl, saying, " Sir, with respects, the yaqona is 

 collected." If the king thinks it enough, he replies in a 

 low tone, "Loba" ("Wring it"), an order which the herald 

 communicates to the man at the bowl in a louder voice. 

 The water is then called for, and gradually poured in, a 

 little at first, and then more, mitil the bowl is full, or the 

 master of the ceremonies says " Stop ! " the operator, in the 

 meantime gathering up and compressing the chewed root. 

 Now follows,' adds Mr. Williams, ' the science of the pro- 

 cess, which Mariner describes so accurately, that I cannot do 

 better than transcribe his account. The strainer is composed 

 of a quantity of the fine fibrous vau (hibiscus), which is spread 

 over the surface of the infusion, on which it floats, and " the 

 man," says Mariner, " who manages the bowl now begins his 

 difficult operation. In the first place, he extends his left 

 hand to the farther side of the bowl, with his fingers pointing 

 downwards and the palm towards himself; he sinks that 

 hand carefully down the side of the bowl, carrying with it 

 the edge of the vau ; at the same time his right hand is 

 performing a similar operation at the side next to him, the 

 finger pointing downwards, and the palm presenting out- 

 wards, lie does this slowly, from side to side, gradually 



