PEEJEE GROUP. 



369 



COOKING JAR. 



the fibres of a cocoa-nut leaf. The pots are baked before an open 

 fire, after, which the glazing, or rather, varnish, is put on, consisting 

 of the resin of a species of pine (resem- 

 bling the Kaurie pine of New Zealand), 

 called makandi, mixed with a decoction 

 of the mangrove bark. 



The use of pottery is the cause of a 

 difference between their mode of cooking 

 and that of the other Polynesian islands. 

 "While the latter bake by means of ovens 

 heated by red-hot stones, the Feejees 

 cook almost wholly by steam. Their pots or jars for cooking will 

 contain from five to ten gallons, and they have a mouth sufficiently 

 large to admit a yam. They are set on the fire obliquely. 



When these jars are employed in cooking, they use little water, 

 and stuff the neck of the jar full of banana-leaves, which allow the 

 steam to escape but slowly. This is the most common way of pre- 

 paring food. 



Their food, as has been seen, is rather steamed than boiled ; they 

 also sometimes bake their food. In all their modes of cooking they 

 are remarkably cleanly, and they wrap every thing in fresh banana- 

 leaves, in which also it is served. 



They have many other kinds of earthen vessels, which they use for 

 various purposes, and which are of various 

 patterns. Their drinking vessels have usu- 

 ally three small holes at one end, similar to 

 the eyes of a cocoa-nut. They never put 

 the vessel to the mouth in drinking, consi- 

 dering it quite objectionable for several per- 

 sons to drink out of the same vessel with 

 their mouths to it. To avoid this they hold 

 the vessel eight or ten inches above their 

 heads, and allow the water to run into their 

 mouths as if from a spout, throwing the head 

 back for that purpose. 



It is difficult to conceive the awkwardness 

 of this strange mode of drinking until it is 



tried ; but it is invariably practised throughout the group, except 

 by the king and high chiefs, whose drinking vessels are always 

 tabooed. 



MODE OF DRINKING. 



VOL. III. 



93 



