THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
155 
fubje&s to kill any hogs ; and this prohibition, we were 
told, is in force, fometimes, for feveral months, or even for 
a year or two. During that reftraint, the hogs multiply fo 
fall, that there are inftances of their changing their dome- 
flic flate, and turning wild. When it is thought proper to 
take off the prohibition, all the Chiefs affemble at the king’s 
place of abode ; and each brings with him a prefent of hogs. 
The king then orders fome of them to be killed, on which 
they feaft; and, after that, every one returns home with 
liberty to kill what he pleafes for his own ufe. Such a pro¬ 
hibition was actually in force, on our laft arrival here; at 
leaft, in all thofe diflri6ls of the illand, that are immediately 
under the direction of Otoo. And, left it fhould have pre¬ 
vented our going to Matavai after leaving Oheitepeha, he 
fent a meffage to affure us, that it fhould be taken off, as 
foon as the fhips arrived there. With refpedl to us, we 
found it fo; but we made fuch a confumption of them, 
that, I have no doubt, it would be laid on again, as foon as 
we failed. A fimilar prohibition is alfo, fometimes, ex¬ 
tended to fowls. 
It is alfo amongft the better fort, that the ava is chiefly 
ufed. But this beverage is prepared fornewhat differently, 
from that which we faw fo much of at the Friendly Illands. 
For they pour a very fmall quantity of water upon the root 
here; and fometimes roaft or bake, and bruife the flalks, 
without chewing it previoufly to its infufion. They alfo 
ufe the leaves of the plant here, which are bruifed, and 
water poured upon them, as upon the root. Large compa¬ 
nies do not affemble to drink it, in that fociable way which 
is prailifed at Tongataboo. But its pernicious effe£ls are 
more obvious here ; perhaps, owing to the manner of pre¬ 
paring it; as we often faw in fiances of its intoxicating, or 
X 2 rather 
* 777 - 
December* 
