The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-02-11

Cruise Of TIE "Mlqning Star" gttt glar
qarsas.-Na. 6.

PuaUaa Bay.
The Morning. Sta left Omoa Bay, Fatuhiva
on . Monday afternoon, having taken on board
the household stuff fer Hivaoa and the Missiona-
hes. together with four Omoan families, going to
the meeting to see their teacher, Kaiwi, ordained
a. their pastor. In ten hours the brig was lying
to, waiting to enter Puamau harbor, Hivaoa, BY
daylight.
Puamau is not a valley like Omoa, but a crater.
broken by many ridges, watered by many little
streams, and covered by thickets of foliage more
dense than Omoa. The harbor is a basin open
to the north, having a safe anchorage in south
erly and easterly weather, but requiring a vessel
to sail close on the wind when going out, in order
not to touch the rocks. The beach is sandy and
shallow. The breakers commence far out, making
dry landing somewhat dubious. The Catholic
Aisslon stands out prominently, and is seen from
q considerable distance at sea. The house of
hekela Is among trees a short distance to the
west 1t Is built of sticks, (hau.) each about the
sze OF q common tumbler, peeled, and white as
willow. There was not a nail in the building
strings took their places The floor was of peb-
hles. A partition of interlaced bamboo divided
the house into two compartments. This was en-
tered by a bamboo door, the only one in the
house. The Morning Star had the pleasure of
furnishing these bare apartments with chairs.
tables, knives, forks and provisions, beside ether
articles of comfort.
Fewer stone walls and less cultivation were
observed, and on the whole a more primitive state
of human nature in Puamau than in Fatuhiva.
Here Ewes daughters were seen dressed in Ewes
clothing; and if Adam ever was driven 10 the
Last leaf, the father of the Hivaoans must have
seen him put it on and wear it. The young
ladies, too, swan around the vessel in the even
ing, rested on the anchor chains, and then re-
turned yet, in spite Of these indications of bar
barism, the house of the principal chief, Mohau,
was better constructed, more neatly arranged,
and handsomely adorned than any other native
house we saw On the island.
Within the last fifteen months the Hiyaoans
had learned how to 81 make drunk come by the
use Of fermented eocoanut juice. This was the
time when the drinking fever was having its first
run at Puamau. Hearing an immense yelling,
We went to see their drinking feast. The scene
was a hulahula (dancing) ground. There were
10 women, but males, from grey-haired men to
boys, were r~evelling. The majority were seated
on the stone platform at the sides a few, how
ever, were staggering around the arena, with
long bamboo poles, their beer-bottles, in their
hands, yelling at each other as loud as they could
talk. Their object seemed to be to make the
most noise and get drunk, for some stopped at
our approach, and by their sensible questions
proved that they were then only : making be-
lisve.' One of the bamboos was emptied into a
wooden bowl, (arge gourds do not grow at the
Marquesas). The taste of the liquid was sickish-
sour. The guide said it took a pailful to make
them drunk, and when their stomachs were dis
tended to their utmost, they could make it come
mp the way it went down, and would then begin
ard drink again. However that may be, they
are accustomed to spend the whole day, from
morning till night. in these drinking feasts.
The natives seemed to respect Kekela. They
were around his house both night and day ; in
deed, the chiidren-ten. all girls, who were his
scflOlars-were in the habit of sleeping in the
pr incipal room, going home to their parents only
for their meals. Their pr gress had been rapid
they were proud to show how well they had
Mustered their first lessons They sang. and
their performance was more accurate than thei
t,acher's. (Hawaiians seldom sing the semi-r
rores correctly. Their voices were sweet, and
under the care Of q good musician, they would
soon become singers.
While in this valley, a chieftain told the hand
ponae wife of the Hawaiian delegate, that he
should Kin her husband and take her for has rife.
Her husband, who was once a tabu chief in the /.
Sandwich Islands, only laughed, but the lady !
took very short walks, and breathed freer when (,
the Morning &ar left that region. /,