REWA. 121 



cow," which words the natives at once adopted as a single term to 

 designate both, and thenceforward these animals have been known as 

 bula-ma-kau. The beef was found to be more savoury than on board 

 ship, perhaps from being twice boiled. The king was asked to join 

 them, which he did, although he had just finished a hearty meal. 

 After the meal was over, a small earthen finger-bowl was brought to 

 the king to wash his hands, and as the attendant did not seem to be 

 prepared to extend the like courtesy to our gentlemen, a desire for a 

 similar utensil was expressed and complied with, although apparently 

 with some reluctance. In like manner, when the jar of water was 

 brought to the king, one of the party seized upon it and drank, and 

 the rest followed suit, to the evident distress of the attendant. It 

 was afterwards understood that his anxiety arose from the vessel 

 being tabooed, as every thing belonging or appropriated to the use 

 of the king is. The Papalangi chiefs are exempted from these re- 

 strictions. 



When the meal was finished, the whole company seated themselves 

 in a semicircle. The house was now converted into an audience- 

 hall, and the officers and stewards of the king entered to render their 

 report of the day respecting the management of his business. A chief 

 had just arrived to pay his respects to the king, and was dressed in a 

 piece of new tapa, which was wrapped around his body in numerous 

 folds. When he had seated himself, he unrolled it, and tore it into 

 strips of three fathoms in length, which he distributed to the chiefs 

 around him, who immediately substituted it for their own dresses. 

 This chief was the messenger announcing a tribute from Kantavu, 

 and he had come to receive the commands of the king relative to its 

 presentation, which was fixed upon to take place the next day. 



Ava was chewing when Captain Hudson and his party entered. 

 They were kindly received by the king, who seated them near him. 

 There is a peculiar ceremony observed among this people in mixing 

 their ava. It having been first chewed by several young persons, on 

 the pouring in of the water, they all, following the ambati, raise a 

 kind of howl, and say " Ai sevu." The people present were arranged 

 in a semicircle, having the chief operator in the centre, with an im- 

 mense wooden bowl before him. The latter, immediately after the 

 water is poured in, begins to strain the liquid through the woody 

 fibres of the vau, and at the same time sings. He is accompanied in 

 his song by those present, who likewise imitate all his motions with 

 the upper part of their bodies while in a sitting posture. The mo- 



VOL. Til. 31 



