COOKERY. AVA. 381 



in the ground, which they paved with large stones, over 

 which they then lighted a fire, When the stones were 

 hot enough, they took out the embers, raked away the 

 ashes, and covered the stones with green cocoa-nut 

 leaves. The animal which was to be dressed, having been 

 cleaned and prepared, was wrapped up in plantain leaves, 

 and covered with the hot embers, on which again they placed 

 bread-fruit and yams, which also were wrapped up in plan- 

 tain leaves. Over these they spread the rest of the embers, 

 and some hot stones, finally covering the whole with earth. 

 The meat thus cooked is described as being tender and full 

 of gravy ; in fact both Wallis and Cook considered that it 

 was " better in every respect than when it is dressed in any 

 other way." For sauce they used salt water, without which 

 no meal was ever eaten, and a kind of thick paste made from 

 the kernels of cocoa-nuts. At their meals they drank either 

 water or cocoa-nut juice. The Sandwich Islanders were 

 very fond of salt meat, and had regular salt-pans on the 

 sea-shore.* 



The only intoxicating liquor was the ava, an infusion 

 made from the root, stalks, and leaves of a kind of pepper, 

 which however, fortunately for them, was entirely forbidden 

 to the women and seldom permitted to the lower classes. 

 In some of the other islands this liquid was prepared in a 

 very disgusting way. The roots were broken in pieces, 

 cleaned, chewed, and then placed in a wooden bowl, mixed 

 with a certain quantity of water, and stirred up with the 

 hands. In Tahiti, however, the chewing was dispensed with. 

 The wooden bowls out of which the chiefs drank their ava 

 were often very fair specimens of carving. In the Sand- 

 wich Islands they are described as having been "usually 

 about eight or ten inches in diameter, perfectly round, and 

 beautifully polished. They are supported by three, and 

 * Third Voyage, vol. iii., p. 151. 



