He Is
Immediately Killed, And So Falls A Victim To The Priest's Resentment, Who,
No Doubt (If Necessary), Has Address Enough To Persuade The People That He
Was A Bad Man.
If I except their funeral ceremonies, all the knowledge that
has been obtained of their religion, has been from information:
And as
their language is but imperfectly understood, even by those who pretend to
the greatest knowledge of it, very little on this head is yet known with
certainty.[3]
The liquor which they make from the plant called Ava ava, is
expressed from the root, and not from the leaves, as mentioned in the
narrative of my former voyage. The manner of preparing this liquor is as
simple as it is disgusting to an European. It is thus: Several people take
some of the root, and chew it till it is soft and pulpy, then they spit it
out into a platter or other vessel, every one into the same; when a
sufficient quantity is chewed, more or less water is put to it, according
as it is to be strong or weak; the juice, thus diluted, is strained through
some fibrous stuff like fine shavings; after which it is fit for drinking,
and this is always done immediately. It has a pepperish taste, drinks flat,
and rather insipid. But, though it is intoxicating I only saw one instance
where it had that effect, as they generally drink it with great moderation,
and but little at a time.
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