d into the yielding mass, and to the boisterous
mirth of the natives drew it forth laden with the poee-poee, which adhered
in lengthening strings to every finger. So stubborn was its consistency,
that in conveying my heavily-freighted hand to my mouth, the connecting
links almost raised the calabash from the mats on which it had been
placed. This display of awkwardness--in which, by the bye, Toby kept me
company--convulsed the bystanders with uncontrollable laughter.

As soon as their merriment had somewhat subsided, Mehevi, motioning us to
be attentive, dipped the fore-finger of his right hand in the dish, and
giving it a rapid and scientific twirl, drew it out coated smoothly with
the preparation. With a second peculiar flourish he prevented the
poee-poee from dropping to the ground as he raised it to his mouth, into
which the finger was inserted, and was drawn forth perfectly free of any
adhesive matter. This performance was evidently intended for our
instruction; so I again essayed the feat on the principles inculcated, but
with very ill success.

A starving man, however, little heeds conventional proprieties, especially
on a South Sea island, and accordingly Toby and I partook of the dish
after our own clumsy fashion, beplastering our faces all over with the
glutinous compound, and daubing our hands nearly to the wrist. This kind
of food is by no means disagreeable to the palate of a European, though at
first the mode of eating it may be. For my own part, after the lapse of a
few days I became accustomed to its singular flavour, and grew remarkably
fond of it.

So much for the first course; several other dishes followed it, some of
which were positively delicious. We concluded our banquet by tossing off
the contents of two more young cocoa-nuts, after which we regaled
ourselves with the soothing fumes of tobacco, inhaled from a quaintly
carved pipe which passed round the circle.

During the repast, the natives eyed us with intense curiosity, observing
our minutest motions, and appearing to discover abundant matter for
comment in the most trifling occurrence. Their surprise mounted the
highest, when we began to remove our uncomfortable garments, which were
saturated with rain. They scanned the whiteness of our limbs, and seemed
utterly unable to account for the contrast they presented to the swarthy
hue of our faces, embrowned from a six months' exposure to the scorching
sun of the Line. They felt our skin, much