This Proved To Be
"Lownee," An Excellent Relish, Prepared From The Grated Meat Of Ripe
Cocoa-Nuts, Moistened With Cocoa-Nut Milk And Salt Water, And Kept
Perfectly Tight Until A Little Past The Saccharine Stage Of
Fermentation.
Throughout the repast there was much lively chatting among the
islanders, in which their conversational powers quite exceeded ours.
The young ladies, too, showed themselves very expert in the use of
their tongues, and contributed much to the gaiety which prevailed.
Nor did these lively nymphs suffer the meal to languish; for upon the
doctor's throwing himself back, with an air of much satisfaction,
they sprang to their feet, and pelted him with oranges and guavas.
This, at last, put an end to the entertainment.
By a hundred whimsical oddities, my long friend became a great
favourite with these people; and they bestowed upon him a long,
comical title, expressive of his lank figure and Koora combined. The
latter, by the bye, never failed to excite the remark of everybody we
encountered.
The giving of nicknames is quite a passion with the people of Tahiti
and Imeeo. No one with any peculiarity, whether of person or temper,
is exempt; not even strangers.
A pompous captain of a man-of-war, visiting Tahiti for the second
time, discovered that, among the natives, he went by the dignified
title of "Atee Poee" - literally, Poee Head, or Pudding Head. Nor is
the highest rank among themselves any protection. The first husband
of the present queen was commonly known in the court circles as "Pot
Belly." He carried the greater part of his person before him, to be
sure; and so did the gentlemanly George IV.
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