24 



TAHITI. 



cocoa-nuts, sugar-cane, fowls, and fish. They eat no salt, but employ 

 instead of it a sort of sop, made of sea-water, cocoa-nut milk, and the 

 root of the ti. Their mode of eating is somewhat disagreeable, for 

 the bread-fruit or taro is dipped in the sop, and then sucked into the 

 mouth with a smacking sound, that may be heard at some distance. The 

 vessel most commonly used is a cocoa-nut shell. The children are fed 

 upon poe, which is made of bread-fruit and taro, pounded together with 

 a little sugar. The child is laid on its back, and is crammed with 

 balls of poe of the size of a walnut, at which it shows its delight by 

 flapping its arms, kicking, and chirping like a young bird. 



At Tahiti the mode of carrying burdens is the same as we found 

 prevailing throughout Polynesia ; the wood-cut will best explain it. 



MALE COSTUME, TAHITI. 



The men of Tahiti care little about music, but the women appear to 

 be passionately fond of it, and have very correct ears. Many of them 

 have rich contralto voices, and can descend to very low notes, while 

 others do not differ in this respect from the females of our own country • 

 occasionally one may be found that can sound exceedingly clear and 

 very high notes. Their voices accord well with each other, and a 

 party of four or five will make excellent harmony. 



If they ever had any native music, it has long been forgotten, and no 

 other singing is now heard but hymns and sailors' songs ; you observe, 



