TUTUILA. 81 



young, men, women, and children, who were waiting in anxious 

 expectation for their share, now surrounded us, and made it uncom- 

 fortable to eat, with so many hungry expectants; I made haste, 

 therefore, to divide it, and with it they soon dispersed. The taro 

 was exceedingly well cooked, dry, and farinaceous. The bread-fruit 

 they said was too young, and not being considered good by them, 

 they objected to giving us any of it, but did not hesitate to eat it 

 themselves. A pig is a great treat to them, for although they have 

 plenty, they prefer selling to eating them. 



All kinds of provisions in these islands are enhancing in value, 

 and will continue to do so. It is remarkable how the prices fluctuate. 

 On some days provisions of all kinds will be exceedingly cheap, and 

 almost any article will be taken in exchange ; and then again nothing 

 can be found to please the natives, or induce them to trade, although 

 the quantity for sale is equally as great. It was not a little amusing 

 to see the natives sitting whole days to obtain the price of their 

 fowl or pig, and persisting in their refusal of the offer made : and this 

 was sometimes done by a large number at the same time, all remain- 

 ing true to each other until their poe or food became exhausted, 

 when they would take the earliest opportunity of disposing of their 

 different parcels. 



In the grove near the village we saw several piles of stones. I 

 was told they were the graves in which they formerly buried the 

 dead, just below the surface. On the top were placed stones, forming 

 a high pile. Now they bury their dead in graves about three feet 

 deep, and enclose them with the Dracaena, which grows rapidly, and 

 forms a pretty and neat trellis. 



Toa became quite communicative, and as he showed me about his 

 village, he told me, through the interpreter, that before the mis- 

 sionaries came, the chiefs all had their " Aitu" or spirits, which they 

 worshipped, and that they felt themselves obliged to do every thing 

 they commanded. His Aitu were fresh-water eels, which he con- 

 stantly fed in the brook near the village. I visited it, and requested 

 him to catch one, which he attempted to do ; but after a long search, 

 turning over large stones, and examining holes, he was unsuccessful. 

 He said there were many in it formerly, and quite tame ; but since 

 he had embraced Christianity, they had all been caught and destroyed ; 

 on farther questioning him, he told me that he had himself eaten them ; 

 that formerly if any one had touched, disturbed, or attempted to catch 

 one, he should have killed him immediately. He said his eels were 



VOL. II. 21 



