The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-02-03
town better built than before.


coast-his influence being great all over
the group, and a few words from him would
induce the people to engage in the fishing
for biche-le-ner.
Weighing anchor from Mbiwa. we ar
rived, towards evening, at Lbouka, on the
island of Ovalau-the principal place of
residence of the foreigners. There were
about thirty of them, all sailors, who had
mostly run away from ships, or somehow
hoated to these shores. The principal
man among them, and the one that had
most influence with the chiefs-and in fact
was very respectable and steady man
was David Whippy, who, thirty years be-
fore, had left Nantucket whaler, and
making friends with the chief of Libouka,
had settled there. He had number of
wives. as q matter of course, and consid-
cradle progeny. The rest of the foreign
ers were harum-scarum, ,rum-drinking set,
and drinking ava when they could not get
rum. As soon as we dropped anchor, the
white men swarmed on board, with tortoise
shell and various articles Of trade. These
they bartered with the captain for-frstand
foremost-rum, pipes, cloth, powder and
shot, pig-lead, axes, knives, red ochre, scis-
sors, small looking glasses, etc. Some OF
them imbibed considerably while on board.
One fellow. who had procured box of
Hunts axes, was standing in the bow of a
boat, while another passed the box to him
over the vessels side. The combined
weight of the box and the New England
rum, was too much for him, and upset his
equipoise. Overheard he went, still hold
ing on to the box, but shortly afterwards
reappeared, minus the box, of course, but
still holding between his teeth his pipe,
and scrambled into the boat, somewhat
sobered by his voluntary bath. The hand
lead was Immediately thrown over, with
buoy to mark the spot where the axes
went over. The water was twenty-five
fathoms-l32 feet-in depth, and the Fiji
men, though good divers, could not reach
bottom. A native Of the Caroline Islands,
who had somehow drifted to Libouka, was
sent for, and after two attempts, succeeded
in the third, and fastening rope around
the box, it was recovered. Before diving,
the man stipulated for his compensation,
which was to be as much rum as he could
drink After returning on board, the
captain gave him bottle Of the coveted
ardent, when he Immediately sat down on
deck, and in about half an hour had finish
ed the whole and fallen over dead drunk.
Procuring a foreigner at Libouka for
pilot-one familiar with the many reefs and
sand-bars which abound among the islands
and several others to act as interpreters
and trading masters, we sailed from Libou-
ka, and in one days sailing arrived off
small island near the coast Of Vanua Leyu,
called Tavea, where we established our
first biche-le-me1. house. This was long,
roughly-thatched house, on one side of
which trench was dug the entire length,
for the purpose of building a fire to cure
the fish. Over the trench were two shelves
constructed of reeds laid upon cocoanut
logs. One was four or five feet above the
other, and, spread over them, the fish under
went the process of drying, constant fire
being kept up in the trench, night and day.
while the doors were kept closed. But
first, the fish were boiled in large iron pots,
resembling sugar pots in shape, and then
the entrails removed by running stick
through them, after which, they were taken
in baskets to the 6icke-le-nier house and
spread on the "batters,' as the shelves
were called. 1t generally required three
days to perfect the drying and smoking
process. at which time the fish were ready
to be bagged and taken on board.
The fishing was done entirely BY the
natives, at low tide, when the water on the
reefs was about two feet deep, and one
could wade for miles in every direction.
The canoes frequently returned laden to
the gunwale with the queer-looking slugs-
Astounding most at the full Of the moon
and then ensued lively scene of traffic.
The natives, IL their way, were keen on
trade, and would sometimes stand and hag-
gle about the price Of the basket or bar
rel full of fish. before they would accept
the cloth or other article offered by the
trading master. This person, with his
chest of trade, was seated on an elevated
platform, out of reach-for these people,
like most of the Pacific Islanders, will pill
fer when they can. The principal chief
very naturally monopolized the principal
share Of the business, the object OF his
aspirations being muskets and ammunition,
as well as whales teeth. The latter were
highly priced, being used for presents to
pass from one chief to another at the con-
clusion of a war, in token Of friendship
And when one chief desired the eo-opera-
ton Of another in war against some third
tribe, special messenger was sent. bear