Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/176

144 covered with cocoa leaves, interlaced together; their shape was nearly that of half an oval, three yards long by two broad; and they were divided at the top, throughout their whole length, by a very narrow slit, which was the only opening in them, though there was no entering without separating its edges. We were informed by some of the natives, who had followed us, that the king frequently came to this place, to drink kava, with several of the chiefs of the island, and that then each went to take a nap in these sort of huts.

On returning toward the place of entertainment, we went round the largest circle formed by the natives; in the midst of which we saw several egui's wives. The wife of Futtafaihe attracted almost every eye by her beauty; but she took care, from time to time, to acquaint us, that it was her duty to preserve her fidelity to her husband. This she expressed with great simplicity, by taboo mitzi mitzi, words of which I cannot give a literal translation, as may be seen by the vocabulary of the language of the Friendly Islands, which will be found at the end of this work.

We observed in the hands of one lady, who appeared to be of some consideration, a sort of mat, about two feet square, and of a white colour, made of the hair of a horse's tail. Pos-