of which upon the system are at first
stimulating in a moderate degree; but it soon relaxes the muscles, and,
exerting a narcotic influence, produces a luxurious sleep. In the valley
this beverage was universally prepared in the following way:--Some
half-dozen young boys seated themselves in a circle around an empty wooden
vessel, each one of them being supplied with a certain quantity of the
roots of the "arva," broken into small bits and laid by his side. A
cocoa-nut goblet of water was passed around the juvenile company, who
rinsing their mouth with its contents, proceeded to the business before
them. This merely consisted in thoroughly masticating the "arva," and
throwing it mouthful after mouthful into the receptacle provided. When a
sufficient quantity had been thus obtained, water was poured upon the
mass, and being stirred about with the forefinger of the right hand, the
preparation was soon in readiness for use. The "arva" has medicinal
qualities.

Upon the Sandwich Islands it has been employed with no small success in
the treatment of scrofulous affections, and in combating the ravages of a
disease which for so many years has been gradually depopulating those fine
and interesting islands. But the tenants of the Typee valley, as yet
exempt from these inflictions, generally employ the "arva" as a minister
to social enjoyment, and a calabash of the liquid circulates among them as
the bottle with us.

Mehevi, who was greatly delighted with the change in my costume, gave me a
cordial welcome. He had reserved for me a most delectable mess of
"cockoo," well knowing my partiality for that dish; and had likewise
selected three or four young cocoa-nuts, several roasted bread-fruit, and
a magnificent bunch of bananas, for my especial comfort and gratification.
These various matters were at once placed before me; but Kory-Kory deemed
the banquet entirely insufficient for my wants until he had supplied me
with one of the leafy packages of pork, which, notwithstanding the
somewhat hasty manner in which it had been prepared, possessed a most
excellent flavour, and was surprisingly sweet and tender.

Pork is not a staple article of food among the people of the Marquesas,
consequently they pay little attention to the breeding of the swine. The
hogs are permitted to roam at large in the groves, where they obtain no
small portion of their nourishment from the cocoa-nuts which continually
fall from the trees. But it is only aft