BOWDITCH ISLAND. 31 



fayatele, where he was fortunate in being a witness to a little festival, 

 called "faausi." A procession of about twenty men issued from a 

 grove, bearing on their shoulders large wooden trays, shaped like 

 shallow troughs. They were all dressed in gala-dresses, having 

 wreaths of leaves and flowers about the neck and breast, with plumes 

 of sugar-cane blossoms in their hair. They marched forward in 

 quick time, to a lively song, which they sang in unison, until they 

 reached the fale-tele, where a crowd appeared to be expecting them. 

 In the house there were thirty or forty elderly men, seated around the 

 sides, while in the centre a number of youths were busy in serving to 

 each a mess of food from the trays. The chief who was the head of 

 the feast, was recognised by Mr. Hale as having been named Tongi- 

 pavo on our former visit, which name, he was informed, had been 

 exchanged for that of Benjamin, since his conversion to Christianity. 

 He gave Mr. Hale a seat near him, and ordered a mess of food to be 

 served. It proved to be mashed taro, mixed with grated cocoa-nut 

 and soaked in cocoa-nut oil. The whole had been wrapped in banana- 

 leaves and cooked. Mr. Hale found it quite palatable, and somewhat 

 like cold mush fried in butter. After those present had satisfied their 

 hunger, each wrapped up a portion of it in banana-leaves, to carry to 

 his family. The whole was a pleasing sight, exhibiting one of the 

 social customs of their primitive mode of life. 



The surveying boats having returned, and the ship having reple- 

 nished her stores of wood and water, and finished the repairs, Captain 

 Hudson prepared for his departure, having determined to proceed to 

 Saluafata Harbour. 



As their time of departure had become known, and it drew near, 

 their friends and acquaintances of rank did not omit to pay them 

 frequent visits. Among these was old Pea, of Apia, Mole, and 

 others. These visits ought to have been termed begging visits, as 

 they seldom saw a thing that pleased them that they did not ask for. 

 Mole brought a complaint to Captain Hudson, of an outrage by a 

 white vagabond on shore; but it was shrewdly suspected that, not- 

 withstanding his being a missionary teacher, his design was to get 

 more presents from his parting friends. 



On the 23d, Captain Hudson was visited by Matetau, the cele- 

 brated war-chief of Manono. In coming to the ship, he and his 

 numerous retinue were overtaken by a violent shower of rain, which 

 completely wet them. As the old chief was somewhat chilled and 

 cold, Captain Hudson supplied him with a clean and dry shirt. He 



