Page:A Lady's Cruise in a French Man-of-War.djvu/366

332 spread for the guests all round the leafy table; and so obviously uncomfortable were some of the senior officers, that the kind-hearted ladies took pity on their foreign friends, and brought piles of cushions and pillows, to raise them; but as they could not raise the tables also, I fear that some of the gentlemen must have voted dining à l'indigène rather a serious effort.

I should have mentioned that in "setting the table," a pile of large bread-fruit leaves are laid before each person to act as plates, and to be changed as often as may be desired. Also, in lieu of tumblers, wine-glasses, and cruet-stands, each guest is provided with a half cocoa-nut shell, full of drinking water, and one of milk, a third with chopped cocoa-nut, and a fourth with salt water. The two latter are mixed together to make a sauce in which to dip the good things that are coming. This done, the fourth shell is filled with fresh water to act as a finger-glass. Half a bread-fruit, nicely cooked, is laid beside each place in lieu of bread. I fear, if I must confess the truth, that certain dainties in the way of creams and jellies, and tipsy-cakes, such as were not common in Tahiti in the days of Captain Cook, did find their way to our leafy bower, and were by no means despised.

Afterwards the band took up a good position outside the house, and a right merry dance ensued. As the gentlemen considerably outnumbered the ladies, great satisfaction was expressed when two very lady-like white girls suddenly arrived, robed in loose white sacques, and of course crowned with flowers. These turned out to be two of the middies, who kept up their part admirably throughout the evening.

The Shah musters a first-rate theatrical corps, and they say they would gladly act for the amusement of their Tahitian friends, but unfortunately their stay is too short to admit of any such ploy. We are all going to lunch on board to-day.

We have had a very pleasant afternoon on the great ship. Soon after twelve we joined the royal party, for whom the admiral's barge was waiting, the blue jackets receiving the king with