THEREwasnoinstanceinwhichthesocialandkindlydispositionsoftheTypeesweremoreforciblyevincedthaninthemannertheyconductedtheirgreatfishingparties。Fourtimesduringmystayinthevalleytheyoungmenassemblednearthefullofthemoon,andwenttogetherontheseexcursions。Astheyweregenerallyabsentaboutforty-eighthours,Iwasledtobelievethattheywentouttowardstheopensea,somedistancefromthebay。ThePolynesiansseldomuseahookandline,almostalwaysemployinglarge,well-madenets,mostingeniouslyfabricatedfromthetwistedfibresofacertainbark。IexaminedseveralofthemwhichhadbeenspreadtodryuponthebeachatNukuheva。Theyresembleverymuchourownseines,andIshouldthinktheywereverynearlyasdurable。
AlltheSouthSeaislandersarepassionatelyfondoffish;butnoneofthemcanbemoresothantheinhabitantsofTypee。Icouldnotcomprehend,therefore,whytheysoseldomsoughtitintheirwaters;
foritwasonlyatstatedtimesthatthefishingpartieswereformed,andtheseoccasionswerealwayslookedforwardtowithnosmalldegreeofinterest。
Duringtheirabsence,thewholepopulationoftheplacewereinaferment,andnothingwastalkedofbut“pehee,pehee“fish,fish。Towardsthetimewhentheywereexpectedtoreturn,thevocaltelegraphwasputintooperation-theinhabitants,whowerescatteredthroughoutthelengthofthevalley,leapeduponrocksandintotrees,shoutingwithdelightatthethoughtsoftheanticipatedtreat。Assoonastheapproachofthepartywasannounced,therewasageneralrushofthementowardsthebeach;someofthemremaining,however,abouttheTi,inordertogetmattersinreadinessforthereceptionofthefish,whichwerebroughttotheTabooGrovesinimmensepackagesofleaves,eachoneofthembeingsuspendedfromapolecarriedontheshouldersoftwomen。
IwaspresentattheTiononeoftheseoccasions,andthesightwasmostinteresting。Afterallthepackageshadarrived,theywerelaidinarowundertheverandahofthebuilding,andopened。Thefishwereallquitesmall,generallyaboutthesizeofaherring,andofeveryvarietyofcolour。Aboutone-eighthofthewholebeingreservedfortheuseoftheTiitself,theremainderwasdividedintonumeroussmallerpackages,whichwereimmediatelydespatchedineverydirectiontotheremotestpartofthevalley。Arrivedattheirdestination,thesewereinturnportionedout,andequallydistributedamongthevarioushousesofeachparticulardistrict。ThefishwereunderastrictTaboo,untilthedistributionwascompleted,whichseemedtobeeffectedinamostimpartialmanner。Bytheoperationofthissystemeveryman,woman,andchildinthevale,wereatoneandthesametimepartakingofthisfavouritearticleoffood。
Once,Iremember,thepartyarrivedatmidnight;buttheunseasonablenessofthehourdidnotrepresstheimpatienceoftheislanders。ThecarriersdespatchedfromtheTiweretobeseenhurryinginalldirectionsthroughthedeepgroves;eachindividualprecededbyaboybearingaflamingtorchofdriedcocoa-nutboughs,whichfromtimetotimewasreplenishedfromthematerialsscatteredalongthepath。Thewildglareoftheseenormousflambeaux,lightingupwithastartlingbrilliancytheinnermostrecessesofthevale,andseenmovingrapidlyalongbeneaththecanopyofleaves,thesavageshoutoftheexcitedmessengerssoundingthenewsoftheirapproach,whichwasansweredonallsides,andthestrangeappearanceoftheirnakedbodies,seenagainstthegloomybackground,producedaltogetheraneffectuponmymindthatIshalllongremember。
ItwasonthissameoccasionthatKory-Koryawakenedmeatthedeadhourofnight,andinasortoftransportcommunicatedtheintelligencecontainedinthewords“peheeperni“fishcome。AsI
happenedtohavebeeninaremarkablysoundandrefreshingslumber,Icouldnotimaginewhytheinformationhadnotbeendeferreduntilmorning;indeed,Ifeltverymuchinclinedtoflyintoapassionandboxmyvalet’sears;butonsecondthoughtsIgotquietlyup,andongoingoutsidethehousewasnotalittleinterestedbythemovingilluminationwhichIbeheld。
WhenoldMarheyoreceivedhisshareofthespoils,immediatepreparationsweremadeforamidnightbanquet;calabashesofpoee-poeewerefilledtothebrim;greenbread-fruitwereroasted;andahugecakeof“amar“wascutupwithasliverofbamboo,andlaidoutonanimmensebananaleaf。
Atthissupperwewerelightedbyseveralofthenativetapers,heldinthehandsofyounggirls。Thesetapersaremostingeniouslymade。Thereisanutaboundinginthevalley,calledbytheTypees“armor,“closelyresemblingourcommonhorse-chestnut。Theshellisbroken,andthecontentsextractedwhole。Anynumberofthesearestrungatpleasureuponthelongelasticfibrethattraversesthebranchesofthecocoa-nuttree。Someofthesetapersareeightortenfeetinlength;butbeingperfectlyflexible,oneendisheldinacoil,whiletheotherislighted。Thenutburnswithafitfulbluishflame,andtheoilthatitcontainsisexhaustedinabouttenminutes。
Asoneburnsdown,thenextbecomesignited,andtheashesoftheformerareknockedintoacocoa-nutshellkeptforthepurpose。Thisprimitivecandlerequirescontinualattention,andmustbeconstantlyheldinthehand。Thepersonsoemployedmarksthelapseoftimebythenumberofnutsconsumed,whichiseasilylearnedbycountingthebitsoftappadistributedatregularintervalsalongthestring。
Igrievetostatesodistressingafact,buttheinhabitantsofTypeewereinthehabitofdevouringfishmuchinthesamewaythatacivilizedbeingwouldeataradish,andwithoutanymorepreviouspreparation。Theyeatitraw;scales,bones,gills,andalltheinside。Thefishisheldbythetail,andtheheadbeingintroducedintothemouth,theanimaldisappearswitharapiditythatwouldatfirstnearlyleadonetoimagineithadbeenlaunchedbodilydownthethroat。
Rawfish!ShallIeverforgetmysensationswhenIfirstsawmyislandbeautydevourone?Oh,heavens!Fayaway,howcouldyoueverhavecontractedsovileahabit?However,afterthefirstshockhadsubsided,thecustomgrewlessodiousinmyeyes,andIsoonaccustomedmyselftothesight。Letnooneimagine,however,thatthelovelyFayawaywasinthehabitofswallowinggreatvulgar-lookingfishes:oh,no;withherbeautifulsmallhand,shewouldclaspadelicate,little,golden-huedloveofafish,andeatitaselegantlyandasinnocentlyasthoughitwereaNaplesbiscuit。But,alas!itwasafterallarawfish;andallIcansayis,thatFayawayateitinamoreladylikemannerthananyothergirlofthevalley。
WhenatRomedoastheRomansdo,Iheldtobesogoodaproverb,thatbeinginTypee,ImadeapointofdoingastheTypeesdid。ThusIatepoee-poeeastheydid;Iwalkedaboutinagarbstrikingforitssimplicity;andIreposedonacommunityofcouches;besidesdoingmanyotherthingsinconformitywiththeirpeculiarhabits;butthefarthestIeverwentinthewayofconformity,wasonseveraloccasionstoregalemyselfwithrawfish。
Thesebeingremarkablytender,andquitesmall,theundertakingwasnotsodisagreeableinthemain,andafterafewtrialsIpositivelybegantorelishthem:however,Isubjectedthemtoaslightoperationwithmyknifepreviouslytomakingmyrepast。
THEREweresomecurious-lookingdogsinthevalley。Dogs!-big,hairlessratsrather;allwithsmooth,shining,speckledhides-fatsides,andverydisagreeablefaces。Whencecouldtheyhavecome?
Thattheywerenottheindigenousproductionoftheregion,Iamfirmlyconvinced。Indeed,theyseemedawareoftheirbeinginterlopers,lookingfairlyashamed,andalwaystryingtohidethemselvesinsomedarkcorner。Itwasplainenoughtheydidnotfeelathomeinthevale-thattheywishedthemselveswelloutofit,andbacktotheuglycountryfromwhichtheymusthavecome。
Scurvycurs!theyweremyabhorrence;Ishouldhavelikednothingbetterthantohavebeenthedeathofeveryoneofthem。Infact,ononeoccasion,IintimatedtheproprietyofacaninecrusadetoMehevi,butthebenevolentkingwouldnotconsenttoit。Heheardmeverypatiently;butwhenIhadfinished,shookhishead,andtoldmeinconfidence,thattheywere“taboo。“
AsfortheanimalthatmadethefortuneofmylordmayorWhittington,IshallneverforgetthedaythatIwaslyinginthehouseaboutnoon,everybodyelsebeingfastasleep;andhappeningtoraisemyeyes,metthoseofabigblackspectralcat,whichsaterectinthedoorway,lookingatmewithitsfrightfulgogglinggreenorbs,likeoneofthosemonstrousimpsthattormentedsomeoftheoldensaints!Iamoneofthoseunfortunatepersons,towhomthesightoftheseanimalsisatanytimeaninsufferableannoyance。
Thusconstitutionallyaversetocatsingeneral,theunexpectedapparitionofthisoneinparticularutterlyconfoundedme。WhenIhadalittlerecoveredfromthefascinationofitsglance,Istartedup;
thecatfled,andemboldenedbythis,Irushedoutofthehouseinpursuit;butithaddisappeared。ItwastheonlytimeIeversawoneinthevalley,andhowitgotthereIcannotimagine。ItisjustpossiblethatitmighthaveescapedfromoneoftheshipsatNukuheva。
Itwasinvaintoseekinformationonthesubjectfromthenatives,sincenoneofthemhadseentheanimal,theappearanceofwhichremainsamysterytometothisday。
AmongthefewanimalswhicharetobemetwithinTypee,therewasnonewhichIlookeduponwithmoreinterestthanabeautifulgolden-huedspeciesoflizard。Itmeasuredperhapsfiveinchesfromheadtotail,andwasmostgracefullyproportioned。Numbersofthosecreaturesweretobeseenbaskinginthesunshineuponthethatchingofthehouses,andmultitudesatallhoursofthedayshowedtheirglitteringsidesastheyranfrolickingbetweenthespearsofgrass,orracedintroopsupanddownthetallshaftsofthecocoa-nuttrees。
Buttheremarkablebeautyoftheselittleanimalsandtheirlivelywayswerenottheironlyclaimsuponmyadmiration。Theywereperfectlytameandinsensibletofear。Frequently,afterseatingmyselfuponthegroundinsomeshadyplaceduringtheheatoftheday,Iwouldbecompletelyoverrunwiththem。IfIbrushedoneoffmyarm,itwouldleapperhapsintomyhair;whenItriedtofrightenitawaybygentlypinchingitsleg,itwouldturnforprotectiontotheveryhandthatattackedit。
Thebirdsarealsoremarkablytame。Ifyouhappenedtoseeonepercheduponabranchwithinreachofyourarm,andadvancedtowardsit,itdidnotflyawayimmediately,butwaitedquietlylookingatyou,untilyoucouldalmosttouchit,andthentookwingslowly,lessalarmedatyourpresence,itwouldseem,thandesirousofremovingitselffromyourpath。Hadsaltbeenlessscarceinthevalleythanitwas,thiswastheveryplacetohavegonebirdingwithit。
Irememberthatonce,onanuninhabitedislandoftheGallipagos,abirdalightedonmyoutstretchedarm,whileitsmatechirpedfromanadjoiningtree。Itstameness,farfromshockingme,asasimilaroccurrencedidSelkirk,impartedtomethemostexquisitethrillofdelightIeverexperienced;andwithsomewhatofthesamepleasuredidIafterwardsbeholdthebirdsandlizardsofthevalleyshowtheirconfidenceinthekindlinessofman。