The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-02-02
THE PACIFIC ISLANDERS cAvA.
How 1t Is Manufactured-The Artistic
Portion of the Work

Portion of the Work
cincinnati Enquirer.l
In the Feejee, Sandwich and Friendly
islands of the Pacific ocean the natives
manufacture a drink called cava, IL q
manner as noyal as it is disgusting. The
cava or ava plant is species Of pepper,
and grows about five feet high, having
large heart-shaped leaves with pointed
stalks. The root is dug up, cleaned
with mussel-shells and split into small
pieces. This is then distributed among
the people, seated in two circles, to ce
chewed. A deadly silence prevails for
some time, then it is broken by the cry
of My ma eavap' Give me cavaD by
each of those who intend to chew it.
Young persons with sound teeth, good,
clean mouths, are, of course the chew
ers. Women do great deal of the
chewing, and young women spit on it 10
thin the paste. 1t takes about two min
utes to chew each mouthful, and when
thus masticated it is placed on plantain
or banana leaf and handed to persons
who collect it in a wooden bowl about
three feet in diameter and a foot deep.
In the bowl it is arranged in separate
portions, so that the chief to whom it is
shown can tell whether there is enough
or not. Two men mix the material in
the bowl sitting opposite each other, one
forcing off the flies with large leaf, the
other pouring in water from cocoa nut
shells Having washed his hands, one
of the men mingles the chewed matter,
and when all the ingredients are equally
and firmly mixed, aquantity of tibrOus
substance is thrown over the surface of
the infusion, when begins the artistic
portion of the work. By various curious
and singular evOlutions of the hands
and arms he works the fibrouS substance
around the pulp till it is encircled as if
in net. Then the mass is taken out of
the fluid, raised breast high, twisted
more firmly by surprising and graceful
motions of the arms, the muscles swell
ing and playing in an extraordinary
manner.
Great strength is exerted on these oc-
casions, and the dexterity with which
the whole is accomplished always eX-
cites the admiration of the lookers-On.
Every tongue" says a traveller, is
mute and every eye is upon him watch
ing each motion of his arms as they de-
scribe the various curvilinear turns es-
sential to describe the success of the
operation" Three times the fibrOus
substance is thrown on the surface of
bL0 IIIO OpCAdOlOA1 AO-
peated to gather all the dregs from the
liquor, and the roll is twisted and sus-
pended over the bowl till not drop
will exude from the substance. Cups
are made of banana leaves. The cava
being strained and clear, ball of the
fibrous matter, which acts like sponge,
is dipped into the fluid and squeezed
into the cups, which are alternately held
over the center of the bowl, giving to
each about one-third of pint. The
cups are then distributed according to
the rank of the individual whose name
being called out he claps his hands to
show in what part of the circle he is
seated. If he is chief the cup-bearer
hands the cup kneeling
The drink does not affect the natives
much, but upon stranger produces in
toxication or stupefaction, which de-
stroys appetite and renders the person
averse to any kind of noise. Capt.
King saw man once who was deliriOus
from its use, and two natives were hold
ing him, plucking his hair out by the
roots as a sovereign remedy. 1t is a
great fesh-reducer, and persons who
were once corpulent by its frequent use
become emaciated and living skeletons.
When person first begins to drink cava
he breaks out in scales about the head,
while his eyes become sore and red. The
scales gradually drop off, leaving the
skin beautifully clear and smooth.