people. TKel towröa refembles a country fair, to.'.whiph; eycsryr.fbhe
who goes brings home fomcthing to fhow where he has .been* swith'
th is difference, that here it cofts.them nothing; and-befidesithe fpbrt
o f therhërroo, they are feafted.ajl the. time^;. iiogscipniwierablésaiel
dreffed on! this occafion; and a ftranger would füppcfefé\E#y.óhero»
the ifland had been collected. The eloth and canoes feldoin fall to the.
fliarc o f the fame perfon, hut are moftly rent in pieces ; and he v$ho
gets the Igrgeft: piece^ is the heft,man. Iffeverahofi a'ftónfly feizö
and:carry off the .canoe, it is their own .; and;he who-fiift cat&iesvthe
hog, carries dthbme... !.
<• Thé..th in g sjap p o fe t^ ifo rth is ^oafjareJalJsBcoögbtltc^etherin an?
opemfpacefU.The chief’s men..hoIckthe bogsffafh t-ilhthe pifefthas
niadea longysÉagerió©
a young, plantain into one o f the canoes, I which ftand im a-rofw:, With
mails eré&ed to ipread .thé..cloth,.. and hang’ the bamboqs of;dil</j 'jm->
mëdiately om.this. fignal» the -hogs/ yjaa^^gndrffeiMtet /are.let.ilaofö^’
and théyhu®g!men_.arid womqti hegin> theehafe,< whfehqcmtinueSya-
confiderable time bfcfdre.'all are. caught,iiand lafFords.manyia; laughable
incident r ;a f t e f jh is , the préfents aré‘giyén,r and;the;födl: fervédmp.;
Wreftling ysd daaeing occupjd a part ófvAmfyi ?day arid n igh t iwhile
the feaft continues. j
They have. other. feafts, held at the ratïrra’s morai, called ohoó nöe,'
where they meet in fmaller -companies, baking a-.-hog, and;dating:it
on th y fp.ot;• and if.riot .ckared. the firft day,; they muft come-the
fecohdi or the third, as. none muft h e . remowed .from . the-morai.
The chief of the j^dtdoo, .and the priefts, rare always inyited on thefe
occafion^ and if »bfent, a.portion is put by for them till they arrive,
which they feldom fail to do. I f the chief does not come, .the priefts
are entitled to" his portipn. At this feaft no woman, ndr any d f her
maid attendants, can be prefent,; or partake o f it.;; A t all thefe they
brew plentytpfyava ; and they who can get.it, drink . it greefily.
Whexi the hog .is taken from th é .oven, the. prieft bifers.'a long
prayer, and on a plantainrleaf eolleds a fmall portidn. o f all the pro*
. Appendix.-}
-viflon^twith* 'a bit;- o f dyayal’rdot^spladifig them'on. the’, altai^ as
an'oblation' td*fhe E at&eJ&s ■ "'i T lfefhog Js ■ therf. dividedsfutoefe* maifyi
fhares as'perfons; *eich eats'as much’as'hd^le&fes.-'asdi^puts the remainder
ihtba bafket^covefedfwith 'hh.retufe&tpifthi-fh his
portion. ;10a> ftraingeii pdifeS^bylaH th*e tirtie,’d h b is? always ihviteeL to
partake^ provided' h£ deeMes'bimfelf rai,r oh ar clean perlbre> i f noty.
he pefufeafB nob dare they, telk ailie>*fbr, fhoul<f the impoStion b;e
detedfed*|l death onlyfcodldeeMpiate^theioffencxjlbd,
f-The women and theifdi|fv!^ts“haYe:fEeipfeparatefe^k>alfay called
oehumoo. tThefe are!generally offifh^and not kept on-faerqA ground-
A ny man who is invited may partake,with them.
The' loweft^claife] xniffSgiety^after the ra fir^H B the md^tkcneiz
they; cultivate, .the land, and .»mbftr referable-ourtcoOagSrSe'-’fpmeiare
raif or haloWedji and otherf co'taman oriunefeant, roThefe hold kinder
t he-towhasjand'ratirrasy anfwfer all their'demands-to'thb'beft ;o£ thpir
ability, make-dothiifOTvthem^ buildrAeii nloufesy .’cigi aftift in a»y
laborious work required o f them/; 'yet their yaffalage compels no eon-
. ftartfeisiicc or rcfidence ; they may change dhiefs,. and go: fo another
diftn€fe;i®<
-„The fervants o f whatever clafs are. ciSs,S?toutau; and fuels as Wait
wholly on the women,’ tuti ■ .nor isaife uncomrpon to find young men
o f the firft families fo debafed; ;though: byifuphrfanib'ihe fervice they
become excluded from all 'religiou® folemn4tiesv*'V‘
There yet remains a fetf o f mfch Of A e mbfti execrable, caft, called
mahoos, affeding the manners,: dfeis,' geftures,' and"voice o f females,
and too horrid to be defcribed.
In the fcale o f rank, birth'enjoys fingulardiflindion. A chief is
always:» ch ie f; and-though- expelled, fronfhis command, lofing his .
diftrid-ii or having-his honfajjrs .transferred toihis child;'; Be qdritiny^'
noble*and> refpe^pd.;. on the other hand, no acquifitiori can-fxaiie a
common >man to a higher ftation -than that o f -towha; ?©r ratirra;e,yet
the.meaheft ate ih no flavifh dependence. The honour arid tefped
which they pay their chief, is -rather through, force, o f cuftcan. thaa