e
of this narcotic on Somosomo than elsewhere. Early in the
morning the king's herald stands in front of the royal abode,
and shouts at the top of his voice, `<i>Yagona</i>!' Hereupon
all within hearing respond in a sort of scream,
`<i>Mama</i>!'--`Chew it!' At this signal the chiefs, priests,
and leading men gather round the well-known bowl, and talk over
public affairs, or state the work assigned for the day, while
their favourite draught is being prepared. When the young men
have finished the chewing, each deposits his portion in the
form of a round dry ball in the bowl, the inside of which thus
becomes studded over with a large number of these separate
little masses. The man who has to make the grog takes the bowl
by the edge and tilts it towards the king, or, in his absence,
to the chief appointed to preside. A herald calls the king's
attention to the slanting bowl, saying, `Sir, with respects,
the <i>yagona</i> is collected.' If the king thinks it enough,
he replies, in a low tone, `<i>Loba</i>'--`Wring it--an order
which the herald communicates to the man at the bowl in a
louder voice. The water is then called for and gradually
poured in, a little at first, and then more, until the bowl is
full or the master of the ceremonies says, `Stop!' the operator
in the meantime gathering up and compressing the chewed root."

1888. H. S. Cooper, `The Islands of the Pacific,' p. 102:

"Kava is the name given to a liquor produced by chewing the
root of a shrub called angona, and the ceremonious part of the
preparation consists in chewing the root."

<hw>Kawa-kawa</hw>, <i>n</i>. Maori name for an ornamental
shrub of New Zealand, <i>Macropiper excelsum</i>. In Maori,
Kawa = "unpleasant to the taste, bitter, sour." (Williams.)
The missionaries used to make small beer out of the
<i>Kawa-kawa</i>.

1850. Major Greenwood, `Journey from Taupo to Auckland,'
p. 30:

"The good missionary . . . thrust upon us . . . some
bottles of a most refreshing light beverage made from the
leaves of the kawa-kawa tree, which in taste much resembled
ginger-beer."

1877. Anon., `Colonial Experiences, or Incidents of
Thirty-four Years in New Zealand,' p. 104:

"Our tea was made from the dried leaves of a native shrub,
of a very spicy flavour, and known as the kawakawa, too pungent
if used fresh and green."

1896. `Otago Witness,' June 4, p. 49:

"The tints of <i>kawa</i>, of birch and broadleaf, of
<i>rimu</i> and <i>ma