Chapter Twenty-eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

FISHING PARTIES--MODE OF DISTRIBUTING THE FISH--MIDNIGHT
BANQUET--TIME-KEEPING TAPERS--UNCEREMONIOUS STYLE OF EATING THE
FISH

THERE was no instance in which the social and kindly dispositions
of the Typees were more forcibly evinced than in the manner the
conducted their great fishing parties. Four times during my stay
in the valley the young men assembled near the full of the moon,
and went together on these excursions. As they were generally
absent about forty-eight hours, I was led to believe that they
went out towards the open sea, some distance from the bay. The
Polynesians seldom use a hook and line, almost always employing
large well-made nets, most ingeniously fabricated from the
twisted fibres of a certain bark. I examined several of them
which had been spread to dry upon the beach at Nukuheva. They
resemble very much our own seines, and I should think they were
nearly as durable.

All the South Sea Islanders are passionately fond of fish; but
none of them can be more so than the inhabitants of Typee. I
could not comprehend, therefore, why they so seldom sought it in
their waters, for it was only at stated times that the fishing
parties were formed, and these occasions were always looked
forward to with no small degree of interest.

During their absence the whole population of the place were in a
ferment, and nothing was talked of but 'pehee, pehee' (fish,
fish). Towards the time when they were expected to return the
vocal telegraph was put into operation--the inhabitants, who were
scattered throughout the length of the valley, leaped upon rocks
and into trees, shouting with delight at the thoughts of the
anticipated treat. As soon as the approach of the party was
announced, there was a general rush of the men towards the beach;
some of them remaining, however, about the Ti in order to get
matters in readiness for the reception of the fish, which were
brought to the Taboo Groves in immense packages of leaves, each
one of them being suspended from a pole carried on the shoulders
of two men.

I was present at the Ti on one of these occasions, and the sight
was most interesting. After all the packages had arrived, they
were laid in a row under the verandah of the building and opened.

The fish were all quite small, generally about the size of a
herring, and of every variety. About one-eighth of the whole
being reserved for the use of the Ti itself, the remainder was
divided into numerous smaller packages, which were immediately
dispatched in every direction to the remotest parts of the
valley. Arrived at their destination, these were in turn
portioned out, and equally distributed among the various houses
of each particular