Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-06-15

| ing then rakeQ out, the HeSn was put lnt
the holes, and covered with the stones ant
embers. 1t was so left for about half al
hour, and at the end of that time takel
out, and eaten by perhaps two hundred men
Before the feast was ready, the men hat
begun TO drink an intoxicating liquor, which
resembled soap suds in appearance, ant
soon took effect. This was the Cava cup
of which travellers have written, and Lore
Byron has sung. Having no rum or othel
spirit, and not understanding the way tc
prepare any ordinary fermented liquors, the
islanders had been led to the discovery o.
strange substitute. They procure a roo
called Cava root (Which appears, by the
by, to be very rich in starch y they cut il
up, and chew it THOROUGHLY they then
wash it in water, strain it through tappa
CLOTH and, throwing the fibrous part away
retain the washings. These are allowed tc
stand for short time during which they
ferment, and acquire intoxicating power
This drink appears to act as slow poison
for indulgence in 1t reduces men often to a
miserable state of nervousness and blind
ness.
These natives seem, from Daniels ac:
count, to be epicures in cannibalism ; and
it is rather agreeable to white men, to know
that they do not think so much of white
men as they do of black. Black tfien's
flesh is greatly preferred to pork, and their
fondhess for it is so decided that no man o1
that colour would ever have choice given
L;,,, r.. Ela l,Eo Tho xi,b;toc nm tho con-
trary; usually meet with the same treat
ment that Dash and his companions had
experienced. The feast being over, tattoo
ing operations were commenced upon HIM.
The instruments employed were pieces OF
bone filed into the shape ofvery fine saws
they were about three inches long, and va
red from a pen-knife's to two fingers
breadth these were set in cane handles,
and when used were placed upon the skin
and struck by sort Of wooden mallet till
blood ,splrted out. Burnt human bones
were then rubbed in over the wounds
The process was exceedingly painful SO
much sd that only small portions ofthe skin
were painted at a sitting. Three months
elapsed before the whole tattooing was COM
plete. Dash was marked on the face, on
the breast, on the back, and from the toe
nails to the ancles. All the natives of this
island and the neighbouring ones are tat
tooed, The process seems to be compul-
sorry, like some of the limitations practised
by the North American Indians. 1t has to
be undergone alike by men and wonen.-
The priests or doctors, called "Vahanua, y
ale the operators. The father hands over
his children to the operator as they reach
that age, with certain sum, either oi
goods,money, or land. In case ofhis death
before his children are sufficiently mature.
he leaves some of his land for the same
purpose. The men are usually tattooed in
patterns, women more plainly. In women
the lips are markedly small spots, the ears
are bored, and round the hole, faint blue
concentric lines are drawn. The hands
are marked as far as the wrists, looking as
if they were gloved. The feet are marked
in similar way as far as the ances, and
there extend stripes from the upper margin
of this tattooed shoe to the knee joint.
When the process of tattooing had been
properly completed, Dash was adopted by
the chief into the tribe. This man "chang-
ed places with him." "gave up his seat tc
him" and "they exchanged names;" Dash
became Coonooai (Coonooy) or "the great
chief" and the chief David or Daniel Dash
The chief could pronounce Daniel better
than David, and so adopted that one of the
two names which the sailor claims right
to use at option. The chief also gave hun
his daughter to wife, well-built, handsome
woman of nineteen years of age. He chad
to marry" also our-and-twepty others, who
expected to be treated as his lawful spouses,
but who were in some degree inferior tc
the princess.
The brothers and friends of these wives
soon built for their new associate hut o.
bamboo, in which the entire family resided
A small compartment was made for the
princess and her spouse-a sort of state
room-to mark their superiority. He was
in every way treated as chief; the broth
ers of his wives prepared his victuals; g
pig was killed every second day for the
use of his household, and they had as ma.
nv boiled potatoes as they could eat. He
had four children only during the time he
remained on the island, three of whom dice
in their infancy. He was about ten month;
before he could speak the language perfect
", but he could make himself understood
much earlier.
The women, he says, have, on the whole
few children. They suffer scarcely any
thing at confinement: and do not usual
ly nurse their children very long they
feed them with cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, anc
raw fish, all these being finely chewed be-
fore they are given to the infant None o
the people like cooked fish; they all prefer
it raw. Few die in infancy ; the great ma
ority of children born are reared. They
seem almost to have an instinct for the
water. As soon as they can walk to the
edge of the stream they walk into it, anc
they can swim as soon as or even before
they have learnt to run. | may observe
that all children appear to have particu'
lar fondness for the water; but those only
can indulge it who go constantly either
quite naked, or in clothes not liable to be
injured, who at the same time have access
to water mild and genial as our summer air
The natives of the Marquesas keep W
their swimming powers throughout thei
lives. and attain extraordinary faculties
They have no fear OF sharks; when one
appears IN the bay the natives singly or ii
numbers Ego out to attack it" in its owr
element with their knives. They have
canoes which they manage cleverly, ant
use in trading excursions TO other islands
or in fishing.
The colour of the islanders is similar tc
that of many tawny Spaniard-a ligh
mahogany. The men and women are of ;
medium height, well made, and often very
| nnnd. lnokinn Thoir lrnrs cansicic of .