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for the reception of strangers, they are never at a loss for an Inn; some of these Houses are 150 feet long 50 or 60 wide, and 30 or 30 high. As soon as they land they Haul up their Canoes, Near their Inn and send Notice to the Nearest of the same Rank, who repair to the place Immediately with provisions for them — and if they stay long enough evry one of the same Class in the District supplys them with one days provisions for all their Company — In fine Weather they put up any where, and erect temporary sheds in the Most convenient place.
If any person of whatever Class he may be should be travelling by land and Meets None who Invite him or should happen to be unacquainted in the District he is passing through and has occasion for provisions, he enquires the Name of the first Ratirra and repairs to his house — on his entring he receives the usual Compliments and having made known his business, the Master of the House Immediately orders provisions to be got ready for him, and the Mistress entertains his Wife in the same Manner & they enjoy a secret pleasure at having had the good fortune to have the Strangers come to their House and they are for ever after deemd friends tho they had never seen each other.
When a Chief or Stranger of rank from other Islands Visits them they perform a Ceremony Calld Ootdoo which is a Peace offering, which is done thus — the Chief or Stranger having taken up his residence in One of the Houses built for the reception of Strangers (of which there are several at convenient places in evry district) the Chiefs and people of the District Assemble near the spot with their presents, each Chief being attended by a Priest with Young Plantain trees & Pigs, they then take their places opposite the Stranger about 30 or 40 yards from Him, and the Priest of the First Chief begins by tying a Young Pig and a small bunch of Red Feathers to a young Plantain Tree, makes a long speech, welcomes the Stranger in the Name of His Master and the People, and then lays the Plantain & Pig down at the Strangers feet who takes the red feathers and sticks them in his Ear or hair. A Number of Hogs Cloth &c. are then brought in and presented to Him by the Chiefs Men — and the inferior Chiefs and landed Men go through the same Ceremony, each presenting him with a pig or Fowle with a Plantain tree, which is the Emblem of Peace on all occasions, and used in all civil and religeous Ceremonies and their present of Hogs & Cloth and when the Whole have made their offering and presents the Stranger is invited to a Feast prepared for Him of
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Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 190, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-062.html