red. Although it was
the permanent residence of several distinguished chiefs, and of the noble
Mehevi in particular, it was still at certain seasons the favourite haunt
of all the jolly, talkative, and elderly savages of the vale, who resorted
thither in the same way that similar characters frequent a tavern in
civilized countries. There they would remain hour after hour, chatting,
smoking, eating poee-poee, or busily engaged in sleeping for the good of
their constitutions.

This building appeared to be the headquarters of the valley, where all
flying rumours concentrated; and to have seen it filled with a crowd of
the natives, all males, conversing in animated clusters, while multitudes
were continually coming and going, one would have thought it a kind of
savage exchange, where the rise and fall of Polynesian Stock was
discussed.

Mehevi acted as supreme lord over the place, spending the greater portion
of his time there: and often when, at particular hours of the day, it was
deserted by nearly every one else except the verd-antique looking
centenarians, who were fixtures in the building, the chief himself was
sure to be found enjoying his "otium cum dignitate" upon the luxurious
mats which covered the floor. Whenever I made my appearance he invariably
rose, and, like a gentleman doing the honours of his mansion, invited me
to repose myself wherever I pleased, and calling out "tammaree!" (boy), a
little fellow would appear, and then retiring for an instant, return with
some savoury mess, from which the chief would press me to regale myself.
To tell the truth, Mehevi was indebted to the excellence of his viands for
the honour of my repeated visits,--a matter which cannot appear singular,
when it is borne in mind that bachelors, all the world over, are famous
for serving up unexceptional repasts.

One day, on drawing near to the Ti, I observed that extensive preparations
were going forward, plainly betokening some approaching festival. Some of
the symptoms reminded me of the stir produced among the scullions of a
large hotel, where a grand jubilee dinner is about to be given. The
natives were hurrying about hither and thither, engaged in various duties;
some lugging off to the stream enormous hollow bamboos, for the purpose of
filling them with water; others chasing furious-looking hogs through the
bushes, in their endeavours to capture them; and numbers employed in
kneading great mountains of poee-poee heaped up in h