260 
SOUTH SEA 
over the arid plains with increased energy, to bathe his 
parched tongue and lips in apparent water— he luxuriates 
in the thought, and when he imagines he is approaching 
its border, and is almost in the act of laving his burning 
limbs in the cooling element, it vanishes “like the 
baseless fabric of a vision, and leaves not a wreck be- 
hind,” to satisfy his ardent desires. 
During my stay among the kind-hearted people of 
Oahoo, I was one evening through the kindness of Dr. 
Hooke introduced to the Queen-regent ; and when I 
entered her house, I found her with the family at supper. 
She sat in the centre of the floor, upon a pile of large 
mats, with her husband and several of her relations 
about her ; around those also another circle was formed 
at a little distance, chiefly by her domestics, most of 
whom were engaged in attendance every now and then 
upon the queen or her relations. When I entered with 
my friend, she kindly desired me to sit upon the mats 
not far distant from herself, and readily, and in the most 
friendly manner, desired her domestics to wait upon me, 
and offer me some of the repast. I found them engaged 
with good appetites upon their favourite “poie,” which 
is a kind of thick paste, made from the farina of a 
root which is called “ tarro,” and which they cultivate 
with great care, in artificial beds of water, called “ tarro 
patches ; ” they had also various kinds of fish, some 
salted and dried, and some raw and alive, which they 
devoured with great gusto ; small quantities of sea- weed, 
of a most rank and iodinic taste and smell, were also 
handed round, while portions were picked out and care- 
