manufacture of thefe illands, as well as of many others in
this Ocean. In the narrative of my firft Voyage *, a minute
defcription is given of this operation, as performed at
Otaheite; but the procefs, here, differing in fome particulars,
it may be worth while to give the following account
of it:
The manufacturers, who are females, take the ilender
flalks or trunks of the paper-mulberry, which they cultivate
-for that purpofe; and which feldom grows more
than fix or feven feet in height, and about four fingers in
thicknefs. From thefe they ftrip the bark, and fcrape off
the outer rind with a mufcle-ihell. . The bark is then rolled
up to take off the convexity which it had round the flalk,
and macerated in water for fome time (they fay, a night).
After this, it is laid acrofs the trunk of a fmall tree fquared,
and beaten with a fquare wooden inftrument, about a foot
long, full of coarfe grooves on all fides; but, fometimes, with
one that is plain. According to the fize of the bark, a piece
is foon produced; but the operation is often repeated by another
hand, or it is folded feveral times, and beat longer,
which feems rather intended to clofe than to divide its
texture. When this is fufSciently effected, it is fpread out
to d ry ; the pieces being from four to fix, or more, feet in
length, and half as broad. They are then given to another
perfon, who joins the pieces, by fmearing part of them
over with the vifcous juice of a berry, called tooo, which
ferves as a glue. Having been thus lengthened, they are
laid over a large piece of wood, with a kind of itamp, made
of a fibrous fubftance pretty clofely interwoven, placed beneath.
They then take a bit of cloth, and dip*it in a juice,
* Hawkefworih’s Colle&ion of Voyages, Vol. ii. p. 210. "" * 3 exprefled
exprefled .from the bark of a tree, called fokka, which they >777.
rub brifkly upon the piece that is making. This, at once, c,
leaves a dull brown colour, and a dry glofs upon its fur-
face ; the itamp, at the fame time, making a flight imprefi-
fion, that anfwers no other purpofe that I could fee, but to
make the feveral pieees, that, are glued together, flick a
little more firmly. In this manner they proceed, joining
and ftaining by degrees, till they produce a piece of cloth,
of fuch length and breadth as they want; generally leaving
a border, of a foot broad, at the fides, and longer at the
ends, unftained. Throughout the whole, if any parts of
the original pieces are too thin, or have holes, which is
often the cafe, they glue fpare bits upon them, till they become
of an equal thicknefs. When they want to produce a
black colour, they mix the foot procured from an oily nut,
called dooedooe, with the juice of the kokka, in different quantities,
according to the propofed depth of the tinge. They
fay, that the black fort of cloth, which is commonly moft
glazed, makes a cold drefs, but the other a warm one; and,
to obtain ftrength in both, they are always careful to join
the fmall pieces lengthwife, which makes it impoflible to
tear the cloth in any direction but one.
On our return from the country, we met with Feenou,
and took him, and another young Chief, on board to dinner.
When our fare was fet upon the table, neither of
them would eat a b it; faying, that they were taboo avy.
But, after enquiring how the victuals had been drefled,
having found that no avy (water) had been ufed in cooking
a pig and fome yams, they both fat down, and made a
very hearty meal; and, on being allured that there was no
water in the wine, they drank of it alfo. From this we conjectured,
that, on fome account or another, they were, at
P P ? this