94 



Porter's Voyage 



never after heard of. The man died, and the woman was foUnd^ 

 and taken back by a canoe, which arrived there in search of 

 feathers. Three or four days after the departure of the canoes, 

 on these voyages of discovery, the priests come lurking to the 

 houses of the inhabitants of the valley, whence they sail, and in a 

 squeaking affected voice, inform them that they have found a land 

 abounding in bread-fruit, hogs, cocoa-nuts, every thing that can 

 be desired, and invite others to follow them, pointing out the 

 direction to sail, in order to fall in with this desirable spot. New 

 canoes are constructed, and new adventurers commit themselves 

 to the ocean, never to return. 



Ask them how they obtained their knowledge of those islands, 

 and they tell you from their gods. They name six islands, two 

 have already been mentioned, to wit, Vavao and Ootoopco. 

 The others are Hitahee, to the south of St. Christiana, which is 

 said to be a small island. Nookuahee and Kappenooa, to lee- 

 v/ard of Madison^s Island, four days'* sail distant ; and Pooheka, 

 a fine island, said to lie to the westward of Roberts' Islands, the 

 existence of which is not doubted by them. 



Of bananas they count upwards of twenty different kinds, 

 some approaching very near the plantain in their appearance, but 

 it is certain that they have none of the latter on the island. The 

 manner of ripening the banana is as convenient and simple as it is 

 expeditious. They dig in the ground a round or square hole, of 

 about three feet in depth, made perfectly level at the bottom, 

 and of the size suited to the quantity of bananas intended to be 

 put into it. They then collect an ouy nut, much resembling our 

 common walnut, which is also used by them instead of candles. 

 These are broken, mixed with dirt, and strewed about the bottom 

 of the hole. On this is laid a layer of grass, with which the 

 sides are also carefully lined ; after which the bunches of green 

 bananas are packed in, and covered with grass, to prevent the dirt 

 from coming in contact with them. The whole is covered mth 

 dirt, and left four days, at the expiration of which time, they 

 are taken out, perfectly ripe and of a beautiful yellow colour. 



The tarra is a root nmch resembling a yam, of a pungent 

 taste, and excellent when boiled or roasted. The natives, by 

 grating it, and mixing it with cocoa-nut oil, make of it a paste 

 which is highly esteemed by them. It grows in a nut soil, and 

 much pains is taken in its cultivation. 



The sugar-cane grows to an imcommon size here, it being no 

 unusual thing to see the stalks fourteen feet in length, and ten or 

 twelve inches in circumference. The only use they make of it is 

 to chew and swallow the juice. 



The Icava is a root possessing an intoxicating quaUty, with 



