TAHITIAN STILL. 
131 
place. The but-end of a tree was then hol¬ 
lowed out, and placed upon the rough stone boiler 
for a cap. The baked ti root, called Dracance 
terminalis , macerated in water, and already in a 
state of fermentation, was then put into the hollow 
stone, and covered with the unwieldy cap. The 
fire was kindled underneath; a hole was made in 
the wooden cap of the still, into which a long, 
small, bamboo cane, placed in a trough of cold 
water, was inserted at one end, and, when the pro¬ 
cess of distillation was commenced, the spirit flowed 
from the other into a calabash, cocoa-nut shell, or 
other vessel, placed underneath to receive it. 
Tahitian Still . 
When the materials were prepared, the men and 
boys of the district assembled in a kind of tempo¬ 
rary house, erected over the still, in order to drink 
the ava , as they called the spirit. The first that 
issued from the still being the strongest, they called 
the ao; it was carefully received, and given to the 
chief: that subsequently procured, was drunk by 
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