THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. \ ’ 87 
KAVA AND KAVA DRINKING. 
By THos. STEEL. 
Not the least interesting of the many curious customs of 
the dwellers in the beautiful islands of the South Pacific, is that 
of the drinking of Kava or Kawa-Kawa. Most people have 
heard of IXava, or, as it is called in Fiji, Yagona (pronounced 
Yangona), but comparatively few who have not had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing it prepared and used, know what it really is. 
Many very erroneous and misleading statements regarding 
the nature of Kava and its mode of preparation and use by the 
islanders, have from. time to time been put forth. Having had 
very full opportunities of observing the native methods of mak- 
ing and drinking’ Kava in Fiji, and having taken a good deal of 
interest therein, I have ventured to describe somewhat in detail 
the facts regarding it. 
Kava or Yagona is a beverage prepared from the root of a 
plant indigenous to many of the South Sea Islands, the Macro- 
piper methysticum Forst. There are several varieties of the 
plant varying greatly in quality, known as Wild Yaqona, 
Mountain Yaqona, ete. In general cultivation I have seen two 
well marked varieties, one of which grows -only to a small size 
and has dark purple stems, and the other, the true Yaqona 
plant, is large and freegrowing, with green stems. It is a con- 
spicuous plant, having a strong straggling habit and many 
branching stems. The leaves are large and heart-shaped. In 
general appearance it somewhat resembles our garden Hydrangia 
when not in blossom. The portion of the plant made use of is 
the root, and the small fibrous rootlets are considered the best 
and yield the strongest Yaqona. The root is used both im its 
green state and dried. 
There are two methods of preparation in common use 
amongst the Fijians, by chewing, and by pounding between flat 
stones, before mixing with the water. The method of pounding 
is the one originally employed by the Fijians, that of chewing 
was introduced from Tonga and has to a great measure taken 
the place of the original custom; the name Kava is also a 
Tongan word, Yaqona being the true Fijian term. 
The root is prepared for use by scraping. off the outer bark 
with sharp shells and eutting into pieces of a convenient size. 
