 my feet, and then up to a little bundle which
swung from the ridge-pole overhead. At last I caught a faint idea of his
meaning, and motioned him to lower the package. He executed the order in the
twinkling of an eye, and unrolling a piece of tappa, displayed to my astonished
gaze the identical pumps which I thought had been destroyed long before.
    I immediately comprehended his desires, and very generously gave him the
shoes, which had become quite mouldy, wondering for what earthly purpose he
could want them.
    The same afternoon I descried the venerable warrior approaching the house,
with a slow, stately gait, ear-rings in ears, and spear in hand, with this
highly ornamental pair of shoes suspended from his neck by a strip of bark, and
swinging backward and forward on his capacious chest. In the gala costume of the
tasteful Marheyo, these calf-skin pendants ever after formed the most striking
feature.
    But to turn to something a little more important. Although the whole
existence of the inhabitants of the valley seemed to pass away exempt from toil,
yet there were some light employments which, although amusing rather than
laborious as occupations, contributed to their comfort and luxury. Among these,
the most important was the manufacture of the native cloth - tappa - so well
known, under various modifications, throughout the whole Polynesian Archipelago.
As is generally understood, this useful and sometimes elegant article is
fabricated from the bark of different trees. But, as I believe that no
description of its manufacture has ever been given, I shall state what I know
regarding it.
    In the manufacture of the beautiful white tappa generally worn on the
Marquesan Islands, the preliminary operation consists in gathering a certain
quantity of the young branches of the cloth-tree. The exterior green bark being
pulled off as worthless, there remains a slender fibrous substance, which is
carefully stripped from the stick, to which it closely adheres. When a
sufficient quantity of it has been collected, the various strips are enveloped
in a covering of large leaves, which the natives use precisely as we do
wrapping-paper, and which are secured by a few turns of a line passed round
them. The package is then laid in the bed of some running stream, with a heavy
stone placed over it, to prevent its being swept away. After it has remained for
two or three days in this state, it is drawn out, and exposed for a short time
to the action of the air, every distinct piece being attentively inspected, with
a view of ascertaining whether it has yet been sufficiently affected
