184 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
a yellow colour^ and plain^ though the cups formerly 
used for drinking ava were carved. These are the prin¬ 
cipal utensils in the preparation of their food | they are 
kept remarkably clean^ and, wheii not in use, suspended 
from some part of the dwelling, or hung upon a stand. 
The fata^ or stand, is a single light post planted 
in the floor, with one or two projections, and a notch 
on the top, from which the calabashes of water, baskets 
of food, umetes, &c. are suspended. Great labour 
was formerly bestowed on this piece of furniture, and 
the fata pua was considered an ornament to the house 
in which it was erected. About a foot from the ground, 
a projection extended six or eight inches wide, com¬ 
pletely round, flat on the top, but concave on the under 
side, in order to prevent rats or mice from ascending 
and gaining access to the food. Their only knife was a 
piece of bamboo-cane, with which they would cut up a 
pig, dog, or fish, with great facility. 
