CHAPTER XXI
Preparations for a grand festival in the valley--Strange doings in the Taboo Groves--Monument of Calabashes--Gala costume of the Typee damsels--Departure for the festival.
From the time that my lameness had decreased I had made a daily practiceof visiting Mehevi at the Ti, who invariably gave me a most cordialreception. I was always accompanied in these excursions by Fayaway and theever-present Kory-Kory. The former, as soon as we reached the vicinity ofthe Ti--which was rigorously tabooed to the whole female sex--withdrew to aneighbouring hut, as if her feminine delicacy restrained her fromapproaching a habitation which might be regarded as a sort of Bachelor'sHall.
And in good truth it might well have been so considered. Although it wasthe permanent residence of several distinguished chiefs, and of the nobleMehevi in particular, it was still at certain seasons the favourite hauntof all the jolly, talkative, and elderly savages of the vale, who resortedthither in the same way that similar characters frequent a tavern incivilized countries. There they would remain hour after hour, chatting,smoking, eating poee-poee, or busily engaged in sleeping for the good oftheir constitutions.
This building appeared to be the headquarters of the valley, where allflying rumours concentrated; and to have seen it filled with a crowd ofthe natives, all males, conversing in animated clusters, while multitudeswere continually coming and going, one would have thought it a kind ofsavage exchange, where the rise and fall of Polynesian Stock wasdiscussed.
Mehevi acted as supreme lord over the place, spending the greater portionof his time there: and often when, at particular hours of the day, it wasdeserted by nearly every one else except the verd-antique lookingcentenarians, who were fixtures in the building, the chief himself wassure to be found enjoying his "otium cum dignitate" upon the luxuriousmats which covered the floor. Whenever I made my appearance he invariablyrose, and, like a gentleman doing the honours of his mansion, invited meto repose myself wherever I pleased, and calling out "tammaree!" (boy), alittle fellow would appear, and then retiring for an instant, return withsome 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 forthe honour of my repeated visits,--a matter which cannot appear singular,when it is borne in mind that bachelors, all the world over, are famousfor serving up unexceptional repasts.
One day, on drawing near to the Ti, I observed that extensive preparationswere going forward, plainly betokening some approaching festival. Some ofthe symptoms reminded me of the stir produced among the scullions of alarge hotel, where a grand jubilee dinner is about to be given. Thenatives were hurrying about hither and thither, engaged in various duties;some lugging off to the stream enormous hollow bamboos, for the purpose offilling them with water; others chasing furious-looking hogs through thebushes, in their endeavours to capture them; and numbers employed inkneading great mountains of poee-poee heaped up in huge wooden vessels.
After observing these lively indications for awhile, I was attracted to aneighbouring grove by a prodigious squeaking which I heard there. Onreaching the spot I found it proceeded from a large hog which a number ofnatives were forcibly holding to the earth, while a muscular fellow, armedwith a bludgeon, was ineffectually aiming murderous blows at the skull ofthe unfortunate porker. Again and again he missed his writhing andstruggling victim, but though puffing and panting with his exertions, hestill continued them; and after striking a sufficient number of blows tohave demolished an entire drove of oxen, with one crashing stroke he laidhim dead at his feet.
Without letting any blood from the body, it was immediately carried to afire which had been kindled near at hand, and four savages taking hold ofthe carcass by its legs, passed it rapidly to and fro in the flames. In amoment the smell of burning bristles betrayed the object of thisprocedure. Having got thus far in the matter, the body was removed to alittle distance; and, being disembowelled, the entrails were laid aside aschoice parts, and the whole carcass thoroughly washed with water. An amplethick green cloth, composed of the long thick leaves of a species of palmtree, ingeniously tacked together with little pins of bamboo, was nowspread upon the ground, in which the body being carefully rolled, it wasborne to an oven previously prepared to receive it. Here it was at oncelaid upon the heated stones at the bottom, and covered with thick layersof leaves, the whole being quickly hidden from sight by a mound of earthraised over it.
Such is the summary style in which the Typees convert perverse-minded andrebellious hogs into the most docile and amiable pork; a morsel of whichplaced on the tongue melts like a soft smile from the lips of beauty.
I commend their peculiar mode of proceeding to the consideration of allbutchers, cooks, and housewives. The hapless porker whose fate I have justrehearsed, was not the only one who suffered on that memorable day. Many adismal grunt, many an imploring squeak, proclaimed what was going onthroughout the whole extent of the valley: and I verily believe thefirst-born of every litter perished before the setting of that fatal sun.
The scene around the Ti was now most animated. Hogs and poee-poee werebaking in numerous ovens, which, heaped up with fresh earth into slightelevations, looked like so many ant-hills. Scores of the savages werevigorously plying their stone pestles in preparing masses of poee-poee,and numbers were gathering green bread-fruit and young cocoa-nuts in thesurrounding groves; while an exceeding great multitude, with a view ofencouraging the rest in their labours, stood still, and kept shouting mostlustily without intermission.
It is a peculiarity among these people, that when engaged in anyemployment they always make a prodigious fuss about it. So seldom do theyever exert themselves, that when they do work they seem determined that someritorious an action shall not escape the observation of those around.If, for example, they have occasion to remove a stone to a littledistance, which perhaps might be carried by two able-bodied men, a wholeswarm gather about it, and, after a vast deal of palavering, lift it upamong them, every one struggling to get hold of it, and bear it offyelling and panting as if accomplishing some mighty achievement. Seeingthem on these occasions, one is reminded of an infinity of black antsclustering about and dragging away to some hole the leg of a deceased fly.
Having for some time attentively observed these demonstrations of goodcheer, I entered the Ti, where Mehevi sat complacently looking out uponthe busy scene, and occasionally issuing his orders. The chief appeared tobe in an extraordinary flow of spirits, and gave me to understand that onthe morrow there would be grand doings in the groves generally, and at theTi in particular; and urged me by no means to absent himself. Incommemoration of what event, however, or in honour of what distinguishedpersonage, the feast was to be given, altogether passed my comprehension.Mehevi sought to enlighten my ignorance, but he failed as signally as whenhe had endeavoured to initiate me into the perplexing arcana of the taboo.
On leaving the Ti, Kory-Kory, who had, as a matter of course, accompaniedme, observing that my curiosity remained unabated, resolved to makeeverything plain and satisfactory. With this intent, he escorted methrough the Taboo Groves, pointing out to my notice a variety of objects,and endeavoured to explain them in such an indescribable jargon of words,that it almost put me in bodily pain to listen to him. In particular, heled me to a remarkable pyramidical structure some three yards square atthe base, and perhaps ten feet in height, which had lately been thrown up,and occupied a very conspicuous position. It was composed principally oflarge empty calabashes, with a few polished cocoa-nut shells, and lookednot unlike a cenotaph of skulls. My cicerone perceived the astonishmentwith which I gazed at this monument of savage crockery, and immediatelyaddressed himself to the task of enlightening me: but all in vain; and tothis hour the nature of the monument remains a complete mystery to me. As,however, it formed so prominent a feature in the approaching revels, Ibestowed upon the latter, in my own mind, the title of the "Feast ofCalabashes."
THUS ARRAYED, I WOULD H
AVE MATCHED THE CHARMING FAYAWAY AGAINST ANY BEAUTY IN THE WORLD]
The following morning, awakening rather late, I perceived the whole ofMarheyo's family busily engaged in preparing for the festival. The oldwarrior himself was arranging in round balls the two grey locks of hairthat were suffered to grow from the crown of his head; his earrings andspear, both well polished, lay beside him, while the highly decorativepair of shoes hung suspended from a projecting cane against the side ofthe house. The young men were similarly employed; and the fair damsels,including Fayaway, were anointing themselves with "aka," arranging theirlong tresses, and performing other matters connected with the duties ofthe toilet.
Having completed their preparations, the girls now exhibited themselves ingala costume; the most conspicuous feature of which was a necklace ofbeautiful white flowers, with the stems removed, and strung closelytogether upon a single fibre of tappa. Corresponding ornaments wereinserted in their ears, and woven garlands upon their heads. About theirwaist they wore a short tunic of spotless white tappa, and some of themsuperadded to this a mantle of the same material, tied in an elaborate bowupon the left shoulder, and falling about the figure in picturesque folds.
Thus arrayed, I would have matched the charming Fayaway against any beautyin the world.
People may say what they will about the taste evinced by our fashionableladies in dress. Their jewels, their feathers, their silks and theirfurbelows would have sunk into utter insignificance beside the exquisitesimplicity of attire adopted by the nymphs of the vale on this festiveoccasion. I should like to have seen a gallery of coronation beauties, atWestminster Abbey, confronted for a moment by this band of Island girls;their stiffness, formality, and affectation contrasted with the artlessvivacity and unconcealed natural graces of these savage maidens. It wouldbe the Venus de Medici placed beside a milliner's doll.
It was not long before Kory-Kory and myself were left alone in the house,the rest of its inmates having departed for the Taboo Groves. My valet wasall impatience to follow them; and was as fidgety about my dilatorymovements as a diner out waiting hat in hand at the bottom of the stairsfor some lagging companion. At last, yielding to his importunities, I setout for the Ti. As we passed the houses peeping out from the grovesthrough which our route lay, I noticed that they were entirely deserted bytheir inhabitants.
When we reached the rock that abruptly terminated the path, and concealedfrom us the festive scene, wild shouts and a confused blending of voicesassured me that the occasion, whatever it might be, had drawn together agreat multitude. Kory-Kory, previous to mounting the elevation, paused fora moment, like a dandy at a ball-room door, to put a hasty finish to histoilet. During this short interval, the thought struck me that I oughtmyself perhaps to be taking some little pains with my appearance. But as Ihad no holiday raiment, I was not a little puzzled to devise some means ofdecorating myself. However, as I felt desirous to create a sensation, Idetermined to do all that lay in my power; and knowing that I could notdelight the savages more than by conforming to their style of dress, Iremoved from my person the large robe of tappa which I was accustomed towear over my shoulders whenever I sallied into the open air, and remainedmerely girt about with a short tunic descending from my waist to my knees.
My quick-witted attendant fully appreciated the compliment I was paying tothe costume of his race, and began more sedulously to arrange the folds ofthe one only garment which remained to me. Whilst he was doing this, Icaught sight of a knot of young girls, who were sitting near us on thegrass surrounded by heaps of flowers, which they were forming intogarlands. I motioned to them to bring some of their handy-work to me; andin an instant a dozen wreaths were at my disposal. One of them I put roundthe apology for a hat which I had been forced to construct for myself outof palmetto-leaves, and some of the others I converted into a splendidgirdle. These operations finished, with a slow and dignified step of afull-dressed beau I ascended the rock.