d their peculiar mode of proceeding to the consideration of all
butchers, cooks, and housewives. The hapless porker whose fate I have
just rehearsed, was not the only one who suffered in that memorable day.
Many a dismal grunt, many an imploring squeak, proclaimed what was going
on throughout the whole extent of the valley; and I verily believe the
first-born of every litter perished before the setting of that fatal
sun.

The scene around the Ti was now most animated. Hogs and poee-poee were
baking in numerous ovens, which, heaped up with fresh earth into slight
elevations, looked like so many ant-hills. Scores of the savages were
vigorously plying their stone pestles in preparing masses of poee-poee,
and numbers were gathering green bread-fruit and young cocoanuts in the
surrounding groves; when an exceeding great multitude, with a view of
encouraging the rest in their labours, stood still, and kept shouting
most lustily without intermission.

It is a peculiarity among these people, that, when engaged in an
employment, they always make a prodigious fuss about it. So seldom do
they ever exert themselves, that when they do work they seem determined
that so meritorious an action shall not escape the observation of those
around if, for example, they have occasion to remove a stone to a little
distance, which perhaps might be carried by two able-bodied men, a whole
swarm gather about it, and, after a vast deal of palavering, lift it
up among them, every one struggling to get hold of it, and bear it off
yelling and panting as if accomplishing some mighty achievement. Seeing
them on these occasions, one is reminded of an infinity of black ants
clustering about and dragging away to some hole the leg of a deceased
fly.

Having for some time attentively observed these demonstrations of good
cheer, I entered the Ti, where Mehevi sat complacently looking out upon
the busy scene, and occasionally issuing his orders. The chief appeared
to be in an extraordinary flow of spirits and gave me to understand that
on the morrow there would be grand doings in the Groves generally, and
at the Ti in particular; and urged me by no means to absent myself. In
commemoration of what event, however, or in honour of what
distinguished personage, the feast was to be given, altogether passed my
comprehension. Mehevi sought to enlighten my ignorance, but he failed as
signally as when he had endeavoured to initiate me into the perplexing
arcana of th