, and opened. The fish were all quite
small, generally about the size of a herring, and of every variety of
colour. About one-eighth of the whole being reserved for the use of the Ti
itself, the remainder was divided into numerous smaller packages, which
were immediately despatched in every direction to the remotest part of the
valley. Arrived at their destination, these were in turn portioned out,
and equally distributed among the various houses of each particular
district. The fish were under a strict Taboo, until the distribution was
completed, which seemed to be effected in the most impartial manner. By
the operation of this system every man, woman, and child in the vale, were
at one and the same time partaking of this favourite article of food.

Once, I remember, the party arrived at midnight; but the unseasonableness
of the hour did not repress the impatience of the islanders. The carriers
despatched from the Ti were to be seen hurrying in all directions through
the deep groves; each individual preceded by a boy bearing a flaming torch
of dried cocoa-nut boughs, which from time to time was replenished from
the materials scattered along the path. The wild glare of these enormous
flambeaux, lighting up with a startling brilliancy the innermost recesses
of the vale, and seen moving rapidly along beneath the canopy of leaves,
the savage shout of the excited messengers sounding the news of their
approach, which was answered on all sides, and the strange appearance of
their naked bodies, seen against the gloomy background, produced
altogether an effect upon my mind that I shall long remember.

It was on this same occasion that Kory-Kory awakened me at the dead hour
of night, and in a sort of transport communicated the intelligence
contained in the words "pehee perni" (fish come). As I happened to have
been in a remarkably sound and refreshing slumber, I could not imagine why
the information had not been deferred until morning; indeed, I felt very
much inclined to fly into a passion and box my valet's ears; but on second
thoughts I got quietly up, and on going outside the house was not a little
interested by the moving illumination which I beheld.

When old Marheyo received his share of the spoils, immediate preparations
were made for a midnight banquet; calabashes of poee-poee were filled to
the brim; green bread-fruit were roasted; and a huge cake of "amar" was
cut up with a sliver of bamboo, and laid out on an immense