PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
423 
nearly synonymous. The ingredients of the dish are generally the tops CHAP, 
of the taro plant and mullet which have been fattened in ponds ; these 
are wrapped in large leaves and baked in the ground, though some- Jan^ 
times fowls and pork are used. In order to amuse us, the king had also 
assembled several dancers and the best bards in the island ; and we had 
the pleasure of witnessing some native performances, which were the 
more interesting, as these entertainments will shortly lose all their 
originality by the introduction of foreign customs. On the present 
occasion, indeed, it was difficult to procure performers of any celebrity, 
and both bards and dancers were sent for from a considerable distance ; 
and even then only two of the latter were considered worth our notice. 
The performance opened with a song in honour of Tamehameha, to 
which succeeded an account of the visit of Eio Kio and his queen to 
England ; their motives for undertaking the voyage were explained ; 
their parting with their friends at Woahoo ; their sea-sickness ; their 
landing in England ; the king’s attempts to speak English ; the beau- 
tiful women of this country ; and the sickness and death of the youthful 
royal pair, were described with much humour, good-nature, and feeling. 
The natives were delighted with this performance, especially with 
that part which exhibited the sea-sickness, and the efforts of the king 
to speak English ; but our slight acquaintance with the language did 
not enable us fully to appreciate the allusions. In the next performance, 
however, this defect was less felt. The song was executed by three 
celebrated bards, whose gray beards hung down upon their breasts : they 
were clothed in their rude native costume, and each had the under part of 
his right arm tattooed in straight lines from the wrist to the armpit. They 
accompanied themselves upon drums made of two gourds neatly joined 
together, and ornamented with black devices. Each bard had one of 
these instruments attached to his left wrist by a cord ; the instrument 
was placed upon a cushion, and the performer throughout measured 
time by beating with his right hand upon the aperture of the gourd. 
The subject related to the illustrious Tamehameha, whose warlike ex- 
ploits are the constant theme of these people. Occasionally the bards 
seemed to be inspired ; they struck their left breasts violently with the 
palms of their hands, and performed a number of evolutions with their 
