eads, and picked an armful of broad round leaves, which afterwards
were used for a tablecloth. They were carefully lapped one upon the
other in rows on the ground, and mats and low stools placed near them.
The girl, whom we christened Jack, from a peculiar roll in her gait,
assisted by two more attendants, ranged a close platoon of youthful
cocoanuts, with mouths open like lids, along the centre of the board; on
either side were laid transparent shell goblets--the dark filled with
sea-water and the light with fresh. Thus much for the table-service. Now
came in on a huge wooden platter a baked pig, his dear little trotters,
tail, and even to the extremity of his snout, crisped and browned most
invitingly. In a trice Jack twisted a brace of leaves around her
fingers, seized the tempting grunter, and hey! presto! no articulator of
anatomical celebrity, no, not even the professional carver mentioned by
Sir Walter, who dissected becaficos into such multitudes of morsels,
could have more cunningly divided the dish, giving each of the company
an equal share. Now came a stack of roasted bread-fruit. Jack, with
gloves of more fresh leaves on her hands, peeled, halved, tore out the
seeds, and tossed them from platter to table, with the dexterity of a
juggler at his tricks. Then there came piles of taro, and snow-white
yams; heaps of oranges, and golden pineapples, with bunches of bananas
in the offing.

We were six at table, seated, _a la Turque_, on mats. The servants first
handed shells of fresh water; and, by the way, every one knows who
invented steam-engines, playing-cards, and pin-making; yet in the
absence of positive information, I claim the finger-glass as of Tahitian
origin, and wish it to be generally understood. Then falling to, and
with a fragment of bread-fruit crushed within the hand, and a delicate
bit of crisped pig dipped in salt-water, by way of castors, we munched
and sucked our digits alternately, until the heavy edibles were well
nigh consumed; when laving again, dessert of fruits were distributed,
the goblets once more went round, we rinsed our throats with cocoanut
milk, and thus ended the feast. We had a _chasse_ of pipes and brandy;
but this last was purely an innovation on a native dinner.

Our comely hostess was treated with great deference and respect, none of
the attendants presuming to sit in her presence; indeed, we were
entertained by distinguished nobs of the true Tahitian nobility, and all
was