The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-28
DR.. CUPPY IN FIJI
Interesting Introduction to the ISL
andGrs' Customs.
MORNING BATH IN A SHARK POOL
A Week Spent at Luvaka Not Bad
ly Put In Picturesque
Scenery.
MORNING BATH IN A SHARK POOL

When I awoke on the morning of
January 23d, l had to rub my eyes
several times before I could satisfy
myself as to my exact position on the
surface of this sphere. 1 had some
vague notion of having been in
storm at sea, and when my wits be-
came sufficiently clear I found myself
in the house of the chief or bull of
Lavoni, village in the center of the
beautiful Island of Ovalau The rain
was coming down in torrents and the
wind was bowling dismally around the
house Looking through the mosquisto
curtain, | could make out on the floor
the prone form of the bull who had
completely enveloped himself in
white sheet. Away in the far corner of
the building two men were squatting
down talking together in very low
tones, whilst few young Fijian brats
lay sleeping in all attitudes on the
matted floor. A dusky stiffness pre-
vailed as the doors were not yet open
ed, and l felt almost inclined to go
back to dreamland again, when l sud-
denly reflected that there was good
bathing-pool in the river HARDLY and
the rain-storm having passed, in a few
minutes l was on its banks and enjoy
ing the luxury of a morning plunge.
Whilst l was lazily floating about ad-
miring the luxuriance of the vegeta-
ton that lined the stream on either
side, the brake of bamboos, the tree
fern still dripping with the recent
rain, the tall tree nearly concealed
with creepers, and the slender areca
palm that leaned slightly over the
water. | observed the chief watching
me intently from the neighboring
bank. His 'Saandra Saka" or Good
morning, sir" did not sound as pretty
as the Hawaiian aloha" and l was
on the point of wishing that | could
transport the stream and its pictures
que vale to the neighborhood Of Puma
luu when he very quietly remarked
that sometimes kind of shark found
it's way into the bathing-pool. My
ideas as to upsetting the arrangement
of the universe quickly vanished and
[ scrambled out to a certain extent
in hurry. On returning to the house,
I had no sooner adopted the Fijian
attitude of lying on ones stomach on
the mat and staring at a vacuum
when in stalked the female members
of the establishment, bringing hot
steaming edibles of various sorts; one
had a dish of breadfruit, another of
the "tivoli' or wild yam; a third
brought in plate of fish and large
prawns, whilst the fourth bore kettle
full of sort of fish broth. Then there
were bananas, and pineapple, and
the fruits of the Dawa which are some
thing like those of the Chinese litchi.
T, Fijian in fact does not fare badly.
The soil begrudges him nothing and
| in the forests they find at hand fruits
and wild yams in abundance. But
am depressing. The breakfast is fin
| ished. and the chiefs Mariana Ii. e.
wife) who has been sitting at dis
lance attentively watching my perfor-
nance advances towards me with a
small basin of Fijian ware containing
water. In this | wash my fingers In
| the orthodox fashion not unmindful OF
| the sad fate of the young missionary
who astonished those around him by
| quaffing the contents of his basin. The
chief follows my example which elicit
ed a deep groan of 'Ai matha" from
the men sitting near. This is the same
exclamation that they make use OF
when the chief drains the ava cup and
then in lordly fashion sends the emp
ty cocoanut vessel spinning in the
midst of the circle formed by his adj
miring friends 1t signifies ''Oh Won
| derfulr' but has a ludicrous resem-
! blance to "Oh Motherw or LAY
Murther!'
1t was Sunday morning, and whilst
the women were dOnning their clean
white gowns and the men were array
/ ing themselves in their Sunday sulus
| the native drum or Tall sounded
through the village summoning the
members of the little community tC
church. I was, however, on other err
rands bound, attended by my man
started on a tramp down the vale
| This fellow was bit of a character II
his way. With an expression on The
border-line between sagacity and i'm
becility he might have played man!
parts. When it suited his purpose h
appeared as stupid as an owl. At othe
times when the light of intelligence
displayed itself in his features h
might have passed for a sage. How
ever, we got on very well, though h
was apt to indulge in the procrastinat
inc ways of his race. We have her
an abominable word that is responsible
for more laziness and impudence thai
oven pau and 'pilikia.' 1t is Ma
lua'' and its literal meaning is bye
and-bye::" but it will carry you owe
Fiji. There is a delightful sense o
futurity about this Fijian word whicl
represents the negative side of human
activity in these ATTITUDES, embodyine