Faararirari
to oe Tamarii Tahiti
La Li.


The himene was in its hundredth encore. The other barrel of bottled
beer had been securely locked against the needs of the morrow, and
the bandsmen's inspiration was only claret or sauterne, well watered.

We sat down for dinner. The déjeuner was repeated, and eggs added
for variety. We had risen from breakfast four hours before, yet
there was no lack of appetite. The drink appeared only to make
their gastric juices flow freely. I hid my surfeit. The harmonies
had by now drawn the girls and young women from other districts,
word having been carried by natives passing in carts that a parcel
of papaa (non-Tahitians) were faarearea (making merry).

These new-comers had adorned themselves for the taupiti, the public
fête, as they considered it, and as they came along the road had
plucked ferns and flowers for wreaths. Without such sweet treasures
upon them they have no festal spirit. There were a dozen of these
Moorea girls and visitors from Tahiti, one or two from the Tiare Hotel,
whose homes were perhaps on this island.

The dinner being finished, the bandsmen laid down their instruments
and the girls were invited to drink. Tahitian females have no thirst
for alcohol. They, as most of their men, prefer fruit juices or cool
water except at times of feasting. They had no intoxicants when the