204 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
upwards of sixty feet long, and between two or three 
feet deep, hollowed ont of a single tree. The work¬ 
men told us they were making a pair of that size for 
Kaikioeva, guardian of the young prince Kauikeouli, 
whose tenants they were. 
Near the south end of the house, which was quite 
open, was their fire-place, where a man was preparing 
a quantity of arum or taro for the oven. The roots were 
oblong, from six inches to a foot in length, and three or 
four inches in diameter. The substance of the root is 
somewhat like that of a potato, but more fibrous; and 
to the taste, before dressed, is exceedingly pungent and 
acrid. The tender leaves of this plant are sometimes 
wrapped up in plantain leaves, baked, and eaten by 
the natives ; but in general the root only is used as an 
article of food. The oven was a hole in the earth, 
three or four feet in diameter, and nearly a foot deep. A 
number of small stones were spread over the bottom, a 
few dried leaves laid on them, and the necessary quan¬ 
tity of sticks and firewood piled up, and covered over 
with small stones. The dry leaves were then kindled, 
and while the stones were heating, the man scraped off 
the skin or rind of the taro with a shell, and split the 
roots into two or three pieces. When the stones were 
red-hot, they were spread out with a stick, the re¬ 
maining fire-brands taken away; and when the dust and 
ashes, on the stones at the bottom, had been brushed off 
with a green bough, the taro, wrapped in leaves, was 
laid on them till the oven was full, when a few more 
leaves were spread on the taro; hot stones were then 
placed on these leaves, and a covering six inches thick 
of leaves and earth spread over the whole. In this 
state the taro remained to steam or bake about half 
