NATIVE OVENS. 
503 
fumes of the charcoal, that few Europeans can bear it, yet 
frequently twenty, thirty, or more natives will sleep in this 
place huddled together, and almost in a state of nudity ; 
sometimes even they suffer, from the charcoal being too 
powerful ; this was formerly attributed to the visits of the 
patupaiarehe. 
Native Ovens. 
The native oven fumu hangi) is a circular hole of about 
two feet in diameter, and from six to twelve inches deep, 
this was formerly scraped out with the end of a pointed 
stick; the process of cooking by it is very simple, and 
universally prevailed throughout the South Seas, it is in- 
teresting as marking an identity of race ; a fire is made in 
this hole, the wood being piled up nearly a foot above its 
level, and upon it is laid a layer of stones as large or larger 
than a man's fist ; when the fire has completely heated the 
stones, the cook, generally a female, (sometimes two or 
more,) quickly and dexterously removes the hot stones, 
either with the fingers or two short sticks, and clears out all 
the embers; then returning some of the stones to the oven, 
she covers them up with a layer of green leaves fwata 
wataj and sprinkles water over them ; having thus lined 
the oven, the kumara and potatoes, which have been well 
scraped and washed, are then put in and piled up; if meat 
is to be cooked, it is bound round with green leaves, to 
keep in the gravy : this is always done with large eels, 
when they are intended for guests of distinction ; to these 
a few leaves of wild cabbage, a bundle of sow-thistle are 
added as a relish; the whole being likewise covered with 
green leaves, as well as the sides of the oven, water is then 
plentifully sprinkled over, and upon them is placed a layer 
of flax mats, tapora, or old Jcete (baskets), which have been 
previously soaked, and are carefully tucked in at the sides ; 
the cook next covers the whole with earth so closely that 
the steam thus generated cannot escape ; an hour or less is 
sufficient to cook a very large quantity of food, during which 
time the operator sits down and plaits a number of baskets 
