{"id":"01KG8AM4K2CM5NB6ENREVA8VQK","cid":"bafkreibremtc3nt3sbz2fep7qeovlv6qnrm57hawdyzstv6rnkkwgg3p7e","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":7170,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.203Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 9","source_file":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","start_line":7109,"text":"elevations, looked like so many ant-hills. Scores of the savages were\r\nvigorously plying their stone pestles in preparing masses of poee-poee,\r\nand numbers were gathering green bread-fruit and young cocoanuts in the\r\nsurrounding groves; when an exceeding great multitude, with a view of\r\nencouraging the rest in their labours, stood still, and kept shouting\r\nmost lustily without intermission.\r\n\r\nIt is a peculiarity among these people, that, when engaged in an\r\nemployment, they always make a prodigious fuss about it. So seldom do\r\nthey ever exert themselves, that when they do work they seem determined\r\nthat so meritorious an action shall not escape the observation of those\r\naround if, for example, they have occasion to remove a stone to a little\r\ndistance, which perhaps might be carried by two able-bodied men, a whole\r\nswarm gather about it, and, after a vast deal of palavering, lift it\r\nup among them, every one struggling to get hold of it, and bear it off\r\nyelling and panting as if accomplishing some mighty achievement. Seeing\r\nthem on these occasions, one is reminded of an infinity of black ants\r\nclustering about and dragging away to some hole the leg of a deceased\r\nfly.\r\n\r\nHaving for some time attentively observed these demonstrations of good\r\ncheer, I entered the Ti, where Mehevi sat complacently looking out upon\r\nthe busy scene, and occasionally issuing his orders. The chief appeared\r\nto be in an extraordinary flow of spirits and gave me to understand that\r\non the morrow there would be grand doings in the Groves generally, and\r\nat the Ti in particular; and urged me by no means to absent myself. In\r\ncommemoration of what event, however, or in honour of what\r\ndistinguished personage, the feast was to be given, altogether passed my\r\ncomprehension. Mehevi sought to enlighten my ignorance, but he failed as\r\nsignally as when he had endeavoured to initiate me into the perplexing\r\narcana of the taboo.\r\n\r\nOn leaving the Ti, Kory-Kory, who had as a matter of course accompanied\r\nme, observing that my curiosity remained unabated, resolved to make\r\neverything plain and satisfactory. With this intent, he escorted\r\nme through the Taboo Groves, pointing out to my notice a variety of\r\nobjects, and endeavoured to explain them in such an indescribable jargon\r\nof words, that it almost put me in bodily pain to listen to him. In\r\nparticular, he led me to a remarkable pyramidical structure some three\r\nyards square at the base, and perhaps ten feet in height, which had\r\nlately been thrown up, and occupied a very conspicuous position. It\r\nwas composed principally of large empty calabashes, with a few polished\r\ncocoanut shells, and looked not unlike a cenotaph of skulls. My cicerone\r\nperceived the astonishment with which I gazed at this monument of savage\r\ncrockery, and immediately addressed himself in the task of enlightening\r\nme: but all in vain; and to this hour the nature of the monument remains\r\na complete mystery to me. As, however, it formed so prominent a feature\r\nin the approaching revels, I bestowed upon the latter, in my own mind,\r\nthe title of the ‘Feast of Calabashes’.\r\n\r\nThe following morning, awaking rather late, I perceived the whole of\r\nMarheyo’s family busily engaged in preparing for the festival.\r\n\r\nThe old warrior himself was arranging in round balls the two grey locks\r\nof hair that were suffered to grow from the crown of his head; his\r\nearrings and spear, both well polished, lay beside him, while the highly\r\ndecorative pair of shoes hung suspended from a projecting cane against\r\nthe side of the house. The young men were similarly employed; and the\r\nfair damsels, including Fayaway, were anointing themselves with ‘aka’,\r\narranging their long tresses, and performing other matters connected\r\nwith the duties of the toilet.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 9"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJR1KKRF4W20PAGWA82S1","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM4K2K5296GBG2CHS11YB","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AM4K2PCRCMX427DGB5XG3","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:27.234Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:39.711Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}