{"id":"01KG8AM4KDXPEPWQBXZ3R6SZRQ","cid":"bafkreifwydcpvwpfo6yqm6zwmsjnojej6elb75slwd7firzveekwagb3fu","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":7352,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:25.203Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 2","source_file":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","start_line":7289,"text":"from large pipes, the bowls of which, made out of small cocoanut shells,\r\nwere curiously carved in strange heathenish devices. These were passed\r\nfrom mouth to mouth by the recumbent smokers, each of whom, taking two\r\nor three prodigious whiffs, handed the pipe to his neighbour; sometimes\r\nfor that purpose stretching indolently across the body of some dozing\r\nindividual whose exertions at the dinner-table had already induced\r\nsleep.\r\n\r\nThe tobacco used among the Typees was of a very mild and pleasing\r\nflavour, and as I always saw it in leaves, and the natives appeared\r\npretty well supplied with it, I was led to believe that it must have\r\nbeen the growth of the valley. Indeed Kory-Kory gave me to understand\r\nthat this was the case; but I never saw a single plant growing on the\r\nisland. At Nukuheva, and, I believe, in all the other valleys, the weed\r\nis very scarce, being only obtained in small quantities from foreigners,\r\nand smoking is consequently with the inhabitants of these places a very\r\ngreat luxury. How it was that the Typees were so well furnished with\r\nit I cannot divine. I should think them too indolent to devote any\r\nattention to its culture; and, indeed, as far as my observation\r\nextended, not a single atom of the soil was under any other cultivation\r\nthan that of shower and sunshine. The tobacco-plant, however, like the\r\nsugar-cane, may grow wild in some remote part of the vale.\r\n\r\nThere were many in the Ti for whom the tobacco did not furnish a\r\nsufficient stimulus, and who accordingly had recourse to ‘arva’, as a\r\nmore powerful agent in producing the desired effect.\r\n\r\n‘Arva’ is a root very generally dispersed over the South Seas, and from\r\nit is extracted a juice, the effects of which upon the system are at\r\nfirst stimulating in a moderate degree; but it soon relaxes the muscles,\r\nand exerting a narcotic influence produces a luxurious sleep. In\r\nthe valley this beverage was universally prepared in the following\r\nway:--Some half-dozen young boys seated themselves in a circle around\r\nan empty wooden vessel, each one of them being supplied with a certain\r\nquantity of the roots of the ‘arva’, broken into small bits and laid\r\nby his side. A cocoanut goblet of water was passed around the juvenile\r\ncompany, who rinsing their mouths with its contents, proceeded to the\r\nbusiness before them. This merely consisted in thoroughly masticating\r\nthe ‘arva’, and throwing it mouthful after mouthful into the receptacle\r\nprovided. When a sufficient quantity had been thus obtained water was\r\npoured upon the mass, and being stirred about with the forefinger of the\r\nright hand, the preparation was soon in readiness for use. The ‘arva’\r\nhas medicinal qualities.\r\n\r\nUpon the Sandwich Islands it has been employed with no small success in\r\nthe treatment of scrofulous affections, and in combating the ravages\r\nof a disease for whose frightful inroads the ill-starred inhabitants of\r\nthat group are indebted to their foreign benefactors. But the tenants of\r\nthe Typee valley, as yet exempt from these inflictions, generally employ\r\nthe ‘arva’ as a minister to social enjoyment, and a calabash of the\r\nliquid circulates among them as the bottle with us.\r\n\r\nMehevi, who was greatly delighted with the change in my costume, gave\r\nme a cordial welcome. He had reserved for me a most delectable mess\r\nof ‘cokoo’, well knowing my partiality for that dish; and had likewise\r\nselected three or four young cocoanuts, several roasted bread-fruit,\r\nand a magnificent bunch of bananas, for my especial comfort and\r\ngratification. These various matters were at once placed before me; but\r\nKory-Kory deemed the banquet entirely insufficient for my wants until\r\nhe had supplied me with one of the leafy packages of pork, which,\r\nnotwithstanding the somewhat hasty manner in which it had been prepared,\r\npossessed a most excellent flavour, and was surprisingly sweet and\r\ntender.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 2"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJR1PBJ817EEJ8BWRW4R0","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JYRSHWXR7JM0HYS9D4","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM4K2505XPF1NEAZNM7Y3","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AM4K2GDVB8MQHD4RD8GWX","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:27.245Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:40.078Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}