you don't seem to be getting along; why
don't you try the pepper sauce?" and, by way of example, he steeped a
morsel of food into his nutful of sea-water. On following suit, I
found it quite piquant, though rather bitter; but, on the whole, a
capital substitute for salt. The Imeeose invariably use sea-water in
this way, deeming it quite a treat; and considering that their
country is surrounded by an ocean of catsup, the luxury cannot be
deemed an expensive one.

The fish were delicious; the manner of cooking them in the ground
preserving all the juices, and rendering them exceedingly sweet and
tender. The plantain pudding was almost cloying; the cakes of Indian
turnip, quite palatable; and the roasted bread-fruit, crisp as toast.

During the meal, a native lad walked round and round the party,
carrying a long staff of bamboo. This he occasionally tapped upon the
cloth, before each guest; when a white clotted substance dropped
forth, with a savour not unlike that of a curd. This proved to be
"Lownee," an excellent relish, prepared from the grated meat of ripe
cocoa-nuts, moistened with cocoa-nut milk and salt water, and kept
perfectly tight until a little past the saccharine stage of
fermentation.

Throughout the repast there was much lively chatting among the
islanders, in which their conversational powers quite exceeded ours.
The young ladies, too, showed themselves very expert in the use of
their tongues, and contributed much to the gaiety which prevailed.

Nor did these lively nymphs suffer the meal to languish; for upon the
doctor's throwing himself back, with an air of much satisfaction,
they sprang to their feet, and pelted him with oranges and guavas.
This, at last, put an end to the entertainment.

By a hundred whimsical oddities, my long friend became a great
favourite with these people; and they bestowed upon him a long,
comical title, expressive of his lank figure and Koora combined. The
latter, by the bye, never failed to excite the remark of everybody we
encountered.

The giving of nicknames is quite a passion with the people of Tahiti
and Imeeo. No one with any peculiarity, whether of person or temper,
is exempt; not even strangers.

A pompous captain of a man-of-war, visiting Tahiti for the second
time, discovered that, among the natives, he went by the dignified
title of "Atee Poee"--literally, Poee Head, or Pudding Head. Nor is
the highest rank among themselves any protection. The first husban