>77!- drefled after the European manner. It was much juicier Septembe-r. r J
than our boiled, and beyond comparifon more tender than
roafted meat. The equal degree of heat with which it
flews under-ground, had preferved and concentrated all
its juices. The fat was not lufcious and forfeiting, and
the Ikin inftead of being hard as a ftone, which is always
the cafe with our roafted pork, was as tender as any other
part. After dinner our bottles and glafles were brought
in, and our friend Orea drank his fhare without flinching,
which appeared to us rather extraordinary, fince almoft
all the natives of thefe iflands exprefled a great diflike to
our ftrong liquors. Sobriety- is a virtue almoft univerfal
with them, and particularly among people of inferior rank.
They are however acquainted with an intoxicating beverage,
which is much admired by fome of the old chiefs.
It is made in the moll difguftful manner that can be
imagined, from the juices contained in the root of a fpecies
of pepper-tree. This root is cut fmall, and the pieces
chewed by feveral people, who fpit the macerated mafs into
a bowl, where fome water (milk) of coco-nuts is poured
upon it. They then ftrain it through a quantity of the fibres
of coco-nuts, fq.ueezing the chips, till all their juices
mix with the cocoa-nut-milk ; anci the whole liquor is decanted
into another bowl. They fwallow this naufeous
.fluff as faft as pofiible ; and fome old topers value themfelves
<on being able to empty a great number of bowls. I was
prefent
prefent at the whole procefs one of the firft days after our arri- Sept'£
val at this ifland. Our paflenger, Porea, who was not fo re-
fetved with the natives here as he had been at Huahine,
brought one of his new acquaintances into the captain’s
cabin, and immediately fat down with him to perform the
operation. He drank about a pint, which in lefs than a
qnarter of an hour made him fo dead drunk, that he lay
down on the floor without motion; his face was inflamed,
and his eyes fwelled out of his head. A found fleep of feveral
hours was neceflary to reftore him to his fenfes ; but as
foon as he had recovered them, he appeared thoroughly
afhamed of his debauch.- The pepper-plant is in high
efteem with all the natives of thefe iflands as a fign of peace;
perhaps, becaufe getting drunk together, naturally implies
good fellowlhip. It feems, however, that drunkennefs here
is punilhed, like all other excefles, by difeafe. The old
men who make a practice of it are lean, covered with a
fcaly or fcabby fkin, have red dyes, and red blotches on all
parts of the body. They acknowledge thefe evils to be the
confequence of drinking; and to all appearance, the pepper-
plant, which they call awa, tends to produce leprous com- -
plaints.
As foon as we had dined, our boat’s crew and fervants
feafted on the remains ; and the fame croud who had profited
by our liberality before, now paid their court to them.
The failors were complaifant only to the fair fex; and giv-
“ g