THEwholepopulationofthevalleyseemedtobegatheredwithintheprecinctsofthegrove。InthedistancecouldbeseenthelongfrontoftheTi，itsimmensepiazzaswarmingwithmen，arrayedineveryvarietyoffantasticcostume，andallvociferatingwithanimatedgestures；whilethewholeintervalbetweenitandtheplacewhereI
stoodwasenlivenedbygroupsoffemalesfancifullydecorated，dancing，capering，andutteringwildexclamations。Assoonastheydescriedmetheysetupashoutofwelcome；andabandofthemcamedancingtowardsme，chantingastheyapproachedsomewildrecitative。Thechangeinmygarbseemedtotransportthemwithdelight，andclusteringaboutmeonallsides，theyaccompaniedmetowardstheTi。When，however，wedrewnearit，thesejoyousnymphspausedintheircareer，andpartingoneitherside，permittedmetopassontothenowdenselythrongedbuilding。
SosoonasImountedtothepi-piIsawataglancethattherevelswerefairlyunderway。
Whatlavishplentyreignedaround！-Warwickfeastinghisretainerswithbeefandale，wasaniggardtothenobleMehevi！-AllalongthepiazzaoftheTiwerearrangedelaborately-carvedcanoe-shapedvessels，sometwentyfeetinlength，filledwithnewly-madepoee-poee，andshelteredfromthesunbythebroadleavesofthebanana。Atintervalswereheapsofgreenbread-fruit，raisedinpyramidicalstacks，resemblingtheregularpilesofheavyshottobeseenintheyardofanarsenal。Insertedintotheintersticesofthehugestoneswhichformedthepi-piwerelargeboughsoftrees；hangingfromthebranchesofwhich，andscreenedfromthesunbytheirfoliage，wereinnumerablelittlepackageswithleafycoverings，containingthemeatofthenumeroushogswhichhadbeenslain，doneupinthismannertomakeitmoreaccessibletothecrowd。Leaningagainsttherailingofthepiazzawereanimmensenumberoflong，heavybamboos，pluggedatthelowerend，andwiththeirprojectingmuzzlesstuffedwithawadofleaves。Thesewerefilledwithwaterfromthestream，andeachofthemmightholdfromfourtofivegallons。
Thebanquetbeingthusspread，noughtremainedbutforeveryonetohelphimselfathispleasure。Accordingly，notamomentpassedbutthetransplantedboughsIhavementionedwererifledbythethrongofthefruittheycertainlyhadneverbornebefore。Calabashesofpoee-poeewerecontinuallybeingreplenishedfromtheextensivereceptacleinwhichthatarticlewasstored，andmultitudesoflittlefireswerekindledabouttheTiforthepurposeofroastingthebread-fruit。
Withinthebuildingitselfwaspresentedamostextraordinaryscene。Theimmenseloungeofmatslyingbetweentheparallelrowsofthetrunksofcocoa-nuttrees，andextendingtheentirelengthofthehouseatleasttwohundredfeet，wascoveredbytherecliningformsofahostofchiefsandwarriors，whowereeatingatagreatrate，orsoothingthecaresofPolynesianlifeinthesedativefumesoftobacco。Thesmokewasinhaledfromlargepipes，thebowlsofwhich，madeoutofsmallcocoa-nutshells，werecuriouslycarvedinstrangeheathenishdevices。Thesewerepassedfrommouthtomouthbytherecumbentsmokers，eachofwhom，takingtwoorthreeprodigiouswhiffs，handedthepipetohisneighbour；sometimesforthatpurposestretchingindolentlyacrossthebodyofsomedozingindividualwhoseexertionsatthedinner-tablehadalreadyinducedsleep。
ThetobaccousedamongtheTypeeswasofaverymildandpleasingflavour，andasIalwayssawitinleaves，andthenativesappearedprettywellsuppliedwithit，Iwasledtobelievethatitmusthavebeenthegrowthofthevalley。IndeedKory-Korygavemetounderstandthatthiswasthecase；butIneversawasingleplantgrowingontheisland。AtNukuheva，and，Ibelieve，inalltheothervalleys，theweedisveryscarce，beingonlyobtainedinsmallquantitiesfromforeigners，andsmokingisconsequentlywiththeinhabitantsoftheseplacesaverygreatluxury。HowitwasthattheTypeesweresowellfurnishedwithitIcannotdivine。Ishouldthinkthemtooindolenttodevoteanyattentiontoitsculture；and，indeed，asfarasmyobservationextended，notasingleatomofthesoilwasunderanyothercultivationthanthatofshowerandsunshine。
Thetabaccoandsunshine。Thetabacco-plant，however，likethesugar-cane，maygrowwildinsomeremotepartofthevale。
ThereweremanyintheTiforwhomthetobaccodidnotfurnishasufficientstimulus，andwhoaccordinglyhadrecourseto“arva，“asamorepowerfulagentinproducingthedesiredeffect。
“Arva“isarootverygenerallydispersedovertheSouthSeas，andfromitisextractedajuice，theeffectsofwhichuponthesystemareatfirststimulatinginamoderatedegree；butitsoonrelaxesthemuscles，and，exertinganarcoticinfluence，producesaluxurioussleep。Inthevalleythisbeveragewasuniversallypreparedinthefollowingway:-Somehalf-dozenyoungboysseatedthemselvesinacirclearoundanemptywoodenvessel，eachoneofthembeingsuppliedwithacertainquantityoftherootsofthe“arva，“brokenintosmallbitsandlaidbyhisside。Acoco-nutgobletofwaterwaspassedaroundthejuvenilecompany，whorinsingtheirmouthswithitscontents，proceededtothebusinessbeforethem。Thismerelyconsistedinthoroughlymasticatingthe“arva，“andthrowingitmouthfulaftermouthfulintothereceptacleprovided。Whenasufficientquantityhadbeenthusobtained，waterwaspoureduponthemass，andbeingstirredaboutwiththeforefingeroftherighthand，thepreparationwassooninreadinessforuse。The“arva“hasmedicinalqualities。
UpontheSandwichIslandsithasbeenemployedwithnosmallsuccessinthetreatmentofscrofulousaffections，andincombatingtheravagesofadiseasewhichforsomanyyearshasbeengraduallydepopulatingthosefineandinterestingislands。ButthetenantsoftheTypeevalley，asyetexemptfromtheseinflictions，generallyemploythe“arva“asaministertosocialenjoyment，andacalabashoftheliquidcirculatesamongthemasthebottlewithus。
Mehevi，whowasgreatlydelightedwiththechangeinmycostume，gavemeacordialwelcome。Hehadreservedformeamostdelectablemessof“cockoo，“wellknowingmypartialityforthatdish；andhadlikewiseselectedthreeorfouryoungcocoa-nuts，severalroastedbread-fruit，andamagnificentbunchofbananas，formyespecialcomfortandgratification。Thesevariousmatterswereatonceplacedbeforeme；butKory-Korydeemedthebanquetentirelyinsufficientformywantsuntilhehadsuppliedmewithoneoftheleafypackagesofpork，which，notwithstandingthesomewhathastymannerinwhichithadbeenprepared，possessedamostexcellentflavour，andwassurprisinglysweetandtender。
PorkisnotastaplearticleoffoodamongthepeopleoftheMarquesas，consequentlytheypaylittleattentiontothebreedingoftheswine。Thehogsarepermittedtoroamatlargeinthegroves，wheretheyobtainnosmallportionoftheirnourishmentfromthecocoa-nutswhichcontinuallyfallfromthetrees。Butitisonlyafterinfinitelabouranddifficulty，thatthehungryanimalcanpiercethehuskandshellsoastogetatthemeat。Ihavefrequentlybeenamusedatseeingoneofthem，aftercrunchingtheobstinatenutwithhisteethforalongtimeunsuccessfully，getintoaviolentpassionwithit。Hewouldthenrootfuriouslyunderthecocoa-nut，and，withaflingofhissnout，tossitbeforehimontheground。Followingitup，hewouldcrunchatitagainsavagelyforamoment，andthenextknockitononeside，pausingimmediatelyafter，asifwonderinghowitcouldsosuddenlyhavedisappeared。Inthiswaythepersecutedcocoa-nutswereoftenchasedhalfacrossthevalley。
TheseconddayoftheFeastofCalabasheswasusheredinbystillmoreuproariousnoisesthanthefirst。Theskinsofinnumerablesheepseemedtoberesoundingtotheblowsofanarmyofdrummers。Startledfrommyslumbersbythedin，Ileapedup，andfoundthewholehouseholdengagedinmakingpreparationsforimmediatedeparture。Curioustodiscoverofwhatstrangeeventsthesenovelsoundsmightbetheprecursors，andnotalittledesiroustocatchasightoftheinstrumentswhichproducedtheterrificnoise，I
accompaniedthenativesassoonastheywereinreadinesstodepartfortheTabooGroves。
ThecomparativelyopenspacethatextendedfromtheTitowardstherock，towhichIhavebeforealludedasformingtheascenttotheplace，was，withthebuildingitself，nowaltogetherdesertedbythemen；thewholedistancebeingfilledbybandsoffemales，shoutinganddancingundertheinfluenceofsomestrangeexcitement。
Iwasamusedattheappearanceoffourorfiveoldwomen，whoinastateofutternudity，withtheirarmsextendedflatlydowntheirsides，andholdingthemselvesperfectlyerect，wereleapingstifflyintotheair，likesomanysticksbobbingtothesurfaceafterbeingpressedperpendicularlyintothewater。Theypreservedtheutmostgravityofcountenance，andcontinuedtheirextraordinarymovementswithoutasinglemoment’scessation。Theydidnotappeartoattracttheobservationofthecrowdaroundthem，butImustcandidlyconfessthat，formyownpart，Istaredatthemmostpertinaciously。
Desirousofbeingenlightenedinregardtothemeaningofthispeculiardiversion，IturnedinquiringlytoKory-Kory:thatlearnedTypeeimmediatelyproceededtoexplainthewholematterthoroughly。
ButallthatIcouldcomprehendfromwhathesaidwas，thattheleapingfiguresbeforemewerebereavedwidows，whosepartnershadbeenslaininbattlemanymoonspreviously；andwho，ateveryfestival，gavepublicevidenceinthismanneroftheircalamities。
ItwasevidentthatKory-Koryconsideredthisanall-sufficientreasonforsoindecorousacustom；butImustsaythatitdidnotsatisfymeastoitspropriety。
Leavingtheseafflictedfemales，wepassedontotheHoolahHoolahground。Withinthespaciousquadrangle，thewholepopulationofthevalleyseemedtobeassembled，andthesightpresentedwastrulyremarkable。Beneaththeshedsofbamboowhichopenedtowardstheinteriorofthesquare，reclinedtheprincipalchiefsandwarriors，whileamiscellaneousthronglayattheireaseundertheenormoustrees，whichspreadamajesticcanopyoverhead。Upontheterracesofthegiganticaltars，ateitherend，weredepositedgreenbread-fruitinbasketsofcocoa-nutleaves，largerollsoftappa，bunchesofwhitebananas，clustersofmammee-apples，thegolden-huedfruitoftheartutree，andbakedhogs，laidoutinlargewoodentrenchers，fancifullydecoratedwithfreshly-pluckedleaves，whilstavarietyofrudeimplementsofwarwerepiledinconfusedheapsbeforetheranksofhideousidols。Fruitsofvariouskindswerelikewisesuspendedinleafenbaskets，fromthetopsofpolesplanteduprightly，andatregularintervals，alongthelowerterracesofbothaltars。
Attheirbasewerearrangedtwoparallelrowsofcumbersomedrums，standingatleastfifteenfeetinheight，andformedfromthehollowtrunksoflargetrees。Theirheadswerecoveredwithsharkskins，andtheirbarrelswereelaboratelycarvedwithvariousquaintfiguresanddevices。Atregularintervals，theywereboundroundbyaspeciesofsinnateofvariouscolours，andstripsofnativeclothflatteneduponthemhereandthere。Behindtheseinstrumentswerebuiltslightplatforms，uponwhichstoodanumberofyoungmen，who，beatingviolentlywiththepalmsoftheirhandsuponthedrum-heads，producedthoseoutrageoussoundswhichhadawakenedmeinthemorning。
Everyfewminutesthesemusicalperformershoppeddownfromtheirelevationintothecrowdbelow，andtheirplaceswereimmediatelysuppliedbyfreshrecruits。ThusanincessantdinwaskeptupthatmighthavestartledPandemonium。
Preciselyinthemiddleofthequadranglewereplacedperpendicularlyinthegroundahundredormoreslender，fresh-cutpoles，strippedoftheirbark，anddecoratedattheendwithafloatingpennonofwhitetappa，thewholebeingfencedaboutwithalittlepicketofcanes。Forwhatpurposethesesingularornamentswereintended，Iinvainendeavouredtodiscover。
