Polynesian., 1853-10-08

years that the islanders have ceased to re-
gard even the idea of eating fowls with dis
gust. They now eat them without hesitancy
They are small, tough, pretty looking fowl,
and even now constitute by far the greater
number of those that are raised and sold II
Is correctly reported here that they first came
in a vessel that was wrecked here before the
time of the great famine which occurred per-
haps sixty or seventy years ago. As late as
1886 the figure-head of this vessel was TO
be seen 10 the Matalanim harbor In that
year it was burned. Mr.. Corgat informs me
that it appeared to him like a portion of a
Junk. Certain individuals also came in the
vessel, the names Of whom, os known by the
natives, are still preserved.
RATS OR MAKE, are very numerous over
the whole island. Their tameness and bold
ness are surprising, and need not say that
their operations are very destructive.
MICE, are comparatively scarce.
BATS. OF these the natives distinguish
three varieties. l. Kalamwit, quite small,
very plentiful, 2. Kalapat, ). Pwek, com
monty called by the foreigners flying foxes.
They are vampire bat, quite large, some
times fifteen inches from tip to tip Of the
wings. They eat fruits frequently.
LIZARDS are exceedingly numerous and of
many varieties. Individuals of one variety
frequently attain to the length of ten or
eleven inches.
+ CENTIrEDEs, called by the natives Mana
ran, are somewhat numerous. They are
large, not deadly, nor even very venemous
in lesser degrees.
SCORPIONS OR KoKITECHIPIRO, are very
plentiful, are small, not venemous.
ANTS. are very numerous and of several
varieties, have already distinguished four
or five kinds The Longonemwot is va
to almost every kind of household property
as we have learned by troublesome expe-
rience.
FLIES are in some localities very nume-
rous. think it probable that they are af-
fected both by the general prevalence and
local action of the trade winds. Be it also
known that FLEAs are very scarce, being it
is said but sparsely found and only on dogs!
And have neither seen or felt any evidence
to make me doubt the statement.
BANANAS OR Our | have learned the
names of fourteen varieties of this most val
liable fruit, and all native to the soil. Some
o. them are very fine, but as yet, to my taste,
there are none so permanently good as the
ordinary banana of the Sandwich Islands,
This may be however a mere habit of taste,
or preference peculiar only to myself, and
| would earnestly suggest the wisdom of en-
deavoring to introduce some of these varie-
ties into The Sandwich Islands. /. Walu-
pong; three to four inches long, the best of
all the bananas. Every class of natives eats
this and the following variety. 2. Jopinwa; !;
this is almost like the first, but is a little lon
ger g. Mangat. long fruit, from nine to
fourteen inches in length. 1t is very good
kind-every one is allowed to eat them
This is one of the varieties from which the
material for the woven belts Of the males is
taken. 4. Arten, shorter than the Mangat,
though quite like it. The belts are also
made from its fibre. 5. Outomot, very much
like the Arten: only smaller, belts are also
made from this. 6. Karat; its flesh is of
very deep yellow. Infants are fed on this
variety in preference to any other. 7. Kar-
atiniap; six to seven inches long and four
inches in its short diameter 1t is quite like
the karat in taste. S. Outumwach, called a
wild banana, about four inches long, almost
red and every body is allowed to eat it.
am told that this kind is identical with the
Fayees" of the South sea islands. 9.
Outiniap, wild banana, little larger than
the last, red, and has little black seed
Every class eats of it. 10. loman, small,
about five inches in length, of light yellow
sweet, and eaten by every one. III. PERU;
Of reddish yellow, the individual bananas
are small but about three inches long, though
the bnnches are very large, it is very sweet,
Ill IL llrft tok CIV n
eight inches long, slim, light yellow. They
are tabooed to women of the Libutan class.
Waiwais, or belts are made from this kind
I3. Nupali, very good. There is but one
row on a bunch, that is, the bunch consists of
but one row of FIVE or six fruit, each indlvi-
dual banana being about eighteen inches
long and three inches thick. This variety IS
tabooed to certain classes. ii. Tikap,
wild mountain banana, it never bears iruit.-
The inside Of the trunk is eaten raw, IS quite
sweet, and is considered quite rarity.
BREApFRUIT, OR Mai, is the great staple
of Bonabe Without it the islanders would
be under the necessity Of putting forth lit
tie exeriion in work, but even then the luxu-
rious returns would be so abundant that the
amount of labor required would be very
small. 1t is true that little care is taken to
transplant the young bread-frui tree and to
assist it through its first months Of growth;
but after that the only required attention
seems to he to prevent the actual inroad of
forest shrubs and trees. There seems to be
one large crop of fruit late in the spring, at
which time a large amount OF It Is skinned
and buried raw in the earth against the times
of need, this is called .mark " Different
kinds of breadfruit rpen however at differ
ent times. In this way, comparatively small
quantities of fruit come in at several other
seasons of the year; and at times the trees
continue producing during the whole year,
by this succession of the crops nt the diner
ent kinds of trees. The first four oI the