g of glass goblets. Varos, marvelously spiced,
prawns, and crayfish, garlanded the bases of these sylvan shafts,
all highly decorative, and within reach of their admirers.

The stiff hand of the white which had garbed the wedding party in
the ungraceful clothing of the European mode had failed to pose the
natural attitude of the Tahitian toward good cheer.

A pile of breadfruit-leaves were laid before each feaster's space in
lieu of plates, and four half-cocoanut-shells, containing drinking
water, cocoanut-milk, grated ripe cocoanut, and sea-water. The last
two were to be mixed to sauce the dishes, and the empty one filled
with fresh water for a finger-bowl.

The bride and groom sat at the head of the leafy board, their intimates
about them, and the pastor, who had joined them, stood a few moments
with bowed head and closed eyes to invoke the blessing of God upon the
revel, as did the orero, the pagan priest of Tahiti a few generations
ago. The pastor and I, with the owner of the Atimaona plantation and
a Mr. Davey, had had an appetizer a moment before.

We all sat on the mats according to bodily habit, the lithe natives on
their heels, the grosser ones and we whites with legs crossed, and with
the minister's raising of his head we fell to, with ease of position,
and no artificial instruments to embarrass our hands. We transferred
each to his own breadfruit-leaves what he desired from the stores
in the center, meat and vegetables and fruit, and seasoned it as we
pleased. New leaves brought by boys and girls constantly replaced
used ones, and the shells of salt and fresh water were refilled.

Barrels of white and red wine had been decanted into bottles, and with
American and German beer stood in phalanges beside the milky banana
columns, and from these all replenished their polished beakers of
the dark nuts.

The oysters, of a flavor equaling any of America or Europe, were
minute and of a greenish-copper hue, and we removed them with our
tongues, draining the ambrosial juice with each morsel, and ate twenty
or thirty each. The fish was steeped in lime-juice, not cooked, and
flavored with the cocoanut sauce and wild chillies. The crayfish were
curried with the curry plant of the mountains, the shrimp were eaten
raw or boiled, and the goldfish were baked.

The sucking pig and fowl had been baked in a native umu, or oven,
on hot stones, and the taro and yams steamed with them. Taro tops
were served with cocoanut cre