The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-01-27
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me While the gentle palmists have
been keeping up a ceaseless chatter with
each other, that not only being totally I'M
Ineligible to us, but soft and harmonious
with v~ocals, produce somewhat of the effect
of merry waters ripping over a pebbly bed
in some shady recess of q deep cove wood
There is a dreamy fascination, too, in the
steady gaze of a pair of full, soft black eyes,
heavily shaded with long silken lashes, and
in their fathomless depths we read un-
utterable things. About this time we begin
to wish that We had a superficial area of
body, like Daniel Lambert's, in order that
the process may be indefinitely prolonged
but such not being the case, and our entire
bodies having been gone over more than
once, we are forced to dismiss our LOn1iLOmi-
lists, when there is no longer any excuse to
detain them.
There is a glorious feeling of rest stealing
over us as we lie upon the soft mats and
listlessly gaze through the open doorway at a
group of natives squatted around IA huge
calabash of poi. We are too supremacy
indolent and comfortable to feel any hun
ger at the sight, and are therefore well con-
tent to remain where we are and watch
them.
They have spread a clean mat upon the
surface of pebbles that form the platform on
which the hut stands, and, placing in the
middle the calabash spoken of, full of the
party-looking preparation of kdkO called
poi, arrange around it little heaps of dried
fish, broiled squid, roasted h .kui nuts, salt,
seaweed, crabs and shrimps. Then the
family, with all the others that chance 10
be present, arrange themselves in a cir Gle,
49,. I'll ~ a. 80 H. oo,A
begins.
First u shallow calabash, filed with
water, is handed round, into which they
dip their fingers and then dry them on q bit
of kappa. The sleeve of the right arm is
tucked up, and one after the other they
dip, one, two or three fingers into the plas-
tic % /, and with a deXterOus twirl, extract
a mass varying in size according to the pos
sible dimensions of the mouth to which it
is conveyed. There is a practiced skill
evinced in the manner in which this feat is
performed. The head is thrown back, the
eyes closed, the mouth opened and the
adhesive mass vanishes. The fingers. are
withdrawn-clean and a pinch of salt
placed on the tongue and tasted with a
smacking relish that almost makes our
mouth water. At times we note one pause
with two or three fingers loaded with poi,
which is kept from falling off by being gen.
thy waved TO and fro, and turned from side
to side in the air, while the bearer makes q
remark, or joins in the hearty laughter hat
is always breaking out after which down
goes the lump "with neatness and dis
patch"
Our fair EomiEonsi-ists join the group, and
while room is made for them, we are able
to tell from a certain embarrassed air they
wear, together with the frequent repetition
of the word hdOIe or I" white man," hat
they are being joked with on our account.
What with the feeling of lassitude that
has crept over us in consequence of the
lOn1iLoni-ing we have undergone, enhanced
the luxurious GOODNESS of the soft mats, the
drOwsy influence of the soft air stirring the
rustling leaves of the thatch overhead, and
the knowledge of the fact that we have
nothing else to do, we drop asleep with the
vision of a plumy kdhii or leather fan,
waving to and fro over our heads.