THE PARTING GIFTS.

53

beaten with a kind of wooden hammer till all the pieces were joined together.

You may suppose that when many persons at one time were beating the cloth, the noise was terrible. The women generally made the cloth, and the men got the bark. But on this occasion Pomare was as busy as any in making cloth.

A roast pig was served up for dinner. William observed that Pomare's friends took so much, that the chief himself had very little. He had before remarked that Pomare's head servant had brought his master some dinner secretly the night before, and he observed him come again that evening. William supposed that the hogs were being saved for the approaching feast, and that therefore Pomare could not provide plentiful dinners.

On Monday William took leave of Pomare. Before he went, he asked him to lend him a canoe, that he might return to Matavai by sea. Pomare willingly lent him one, and also gave him two fat hogs, which were so valuable at that time. He expected, therefore, the more in return; and though he had already received a large pair of scissors and other presents, he now begged for the piece of cloth given by the chief in whose shed William's pocket had been picked. Not satisfied with that, he looked at the cloth, which William

54

POMARE'S COVETOUSNESS.

used for a bed, as if he wished for it; therefore his visitor thought it best to go immediately, lest he should ask for more.

Pomare seemed very sorrowful at the parting. William also was grieved at the thought of never seeing Pomare again. Pomare said he should visit the captain, if he could; but that at all events he hoped that he would give axes and 'scissors to Idia. His first and last thought was how much he could get; for truly did our Saviour declare that the Gentiles say continually, "What shall we eat, what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed?" Matt. vi.

MORE THINGS REMARKED BY THE TRAVELLER.

WILLIAM and his companions now set out in the canoe to return to the ship along the western shore.

Soon after they had passed the isthmus, it began to rain so hard, that some of the party

56

THE DRUNKEN CHIEF.

landed for shelter. When it cleared up, they tried to walk along the beach; but the long wet grass was unpleasant, and the trees grew so close to the sea, that sometimes they could scarcely get on; so they were obliged to get into their canoe again.

At night they landed, and stopped at the house of a chief, named Temari, whom they found drunk with ava.

When they awoke next morning, they heard he was gone to the idol's temple; for heathens do not think that their gods dislike drunkenness. He had left orders that a hog should be dressed for his visitors. It was so very large, that they had to wait many hours while it was baking in a pit. Afterwards William continued his journey on foot, while the servants paddled along in the canoe.

William met Temari going home to his house. This chief spoke in a manner that scarcely any body could understand; the reason of this was, that he said he had the spirit of the gods in him. He was descended from a family that had once been kings and queens in Tahiti, and he had been conquered by Pomare in battle, and seemed still to hate him much, and to long to revenge himself on him. What gods those must be who can dwell in a heart full of drunkenness and hatred! You will hear more of this man by and by.

THE MIDNIGHT DANCE.

57

The next night the travellers came to a very large house, one hundred and forty feet long. It was full of those wicked dancers, called Areois, of whom you have already heard much. Each of them was seated upon his own mat, and was busy in weaving mats and cord, called cinet. The house was so much crowded that it appeared like a little village. As soon as it was dark, lights were brought. These were merely a sort of nuts, called candle-nuts, stuck upon skewers. And now some of the areois, leaving their industrious employments, began to sing and to dance to the sound of the drum; when tired, they lay down and slept; and others started up, and danced in their stead. In this manner they would have passed the night, had not William begged the woman, whose house it was, to make them quiet. The lights, however, continued burning all night.

This is the manner in which the areois usually spent their nights. These dancers were probably going to Pomare's feast. There they would help to devour all the best food in the island, and would perhaps wantonly tear up useful plants in their mirth.

The next day William went on his journey, partly on foot and partly in the canoe. About noon he landed at a chief's house. While dinner was getting ready, he walked with Peter and the chief to see a marae.