Of animal food a very small portion falls at any time to the share of the lower class of people, and then it is either fish, sea-eggs, or other marine productions; for they seldom or ever eat pork.  The Eree de hoi[2] alone is able to furnish pork every day; and inferior chiefs, according to their riches, once a week, fortnight, or month.  Sometimes they are not even allowed that; for, when the island is impoverished by war or other causes, the chief prohibits his subjects to kill any hogs; and this prohibition, we were told, is in force sometimes for several months, or even for a year or two.  During that restraint the hogs multiply so fast, that there are instances of their changing their domestic state, and turning wild.  When it is thought proper to take off the prohibition, all the chiefs assemble at the king’s place of abode, and each brings with him a present of hogs.  The king then orders some of them to be killed, on which they feast; and, after that, every one returns home with liberty to kill what he pleases for his own use.  Such a prohibition was actually in force on our last arrival here; at least in all those districts of the island that are immediately under the direction of Otoo.  And, lest it should have prevented our going to Matavai after leaving Oheitepeha, he sent a message to assure us, that it should be taken off as soon as the ships arrived there.  With respect to us we found it so; but we made such a consumption of them, that, I have no doubt, it would be laid on again as soon as we sailed.  A similar prohibition is also sometimes extended to fowls.

[Footnote 2:  Mr Anderson, invariably in his manuscript, writes Eree de hoi.  According to Captain Cook’s mode, it is Eree rahie.  This is one of the numerous instances that perpetually occur, of our people’s representing the same word differently.—­D.]

It is also amongst the better sort that the ava is chiefly used.  But this beverage is prepared somewhat differently, from that which we saw so much of at the Friendly Islands.  For they pour a very small quantity of water upon the root here, and sometimes roast or bake and bruise the stalks, without chewing it previously to its infusion.  They also use the leaves of the plant here, which are bruised, and water poured upon them, as upon the root.  Large companies do not assemble to drink it in that sociable way which is practised at Tongataboo.  But its pernicious effects are more obvious here; perhaps owing to the manner of preparing it, as we often saw instances of its intoxicating, or rather stupifying powers.  Some of us, who had been at these islands before, were surprised to find many people, who, when we saw them last, were remarkable for their size and corpulency, now almost reduced to skeletons; and, upon enquiring into the cause of this alteration, it was universally allowed to be the use of the ava.  The skins of these people were rough, dry, and covered