166 SOMU-SOMU. 



Messrs. Hunt and Lythe acted as interpreters on this occasion, 

 but not until after the one I had chosen was unable to make them 

 understand. This was intentional on my part, for I did not wish the 

 Icing and natives to think that the missionaries had had any part in 

 the proceeding ; and they did not undertake the office until the king 

 and chiefs desired their assistance. Besides the signing, we had the 

 clapping of hands and thighs, and the three audible grunts of satis- 

 faction from the audience. The meeting broke up with a distribution 

 of presents, and all, I believe, went away satisfied. 



The ceremony attending the ava drinking of the king, at Somu- 

 somu, is peculiar. Early in the morning, the first thing heard is the 

 king's herald, or orator, crying out, in front of his house, " Yango-na 

 ei ava," somewhat like a muezzin in Turkey, though not from the 

 housetop. To this the people answer, from all parts of the koro, 

 " Mama," (prepare ava.) The principal men and chiefs immediately 

 assemble together from all quarters, bringing their ava-bowl and 

 ava-root to the mbure, where they seat themselves to talanoa, or to 

 converse on the affairs of the day, while the younger proceed to pre- 

 pare the ava. Those who prepare the ava are required to have clean 

 and undecayed teeth, and are not allowed to swallow any of the juice, 

 on pain of punishment. As soon as the ava-root is chewed, it is 

 thrown into the ava-bowl, where water is poured on it with great for- 

 mality. The king's herald, with a peculiar drawling whine, then 

 cries, " Sevu-rui a na," (make the offering.) After this, a consi- 

 derable time is spent in straining the ava through cocoa-nut husks ; 

 and when this is done, the herald repeats, with still more ceremony, 

 his command, " Sevu-rui a na." When he has chaunted it several 

 times, the other chiefs join him, and they all sing, " Mana endina 

 sendina le." A person is then commanded to get up and take the 

 king his ava, after which the singing again goes on. The orator then 

 invokes their principal god, Tava-Sava, and they repeat the names 

 of their departed friends, asking them to watch over and be gracious 

 to them. They then pray for rain, for the life of the king, the arrival 

 of wangara Papalangi (foreign ships), that they may have riches and 

 live to enjoy them. This prayer is followed by a most earnest 

 response, "Mana endina," (amen, amen.) They then repeat several 

 times. " Mana endina sendina le." Every time this is repeated they 

 raise their voices, until they reach the highest pitch, and conclude 

 with " O-ya-ye," which they utter in a tone resembling a horrid 

 scream. This screech goes the rounds, being repeated by all the 



