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Updated: June 16, 2025
On either hand, at every hundred yards, instead of the houseless, disembowelling paepaes of Nuka-hiva, populous houses turned out their inhabitants to cry 'Kaoha! to the passers-by.
Garbed in brilliant yellow pareu, he bore on his shoulders an immense kooka, or basket of cocoanut fiber, filled with quite two hundred pounds of breadfruit. The superb muscles stood out on his perfect body, wet with perspiration as though he had come from the river. "Kaoha, Great Fern!" I said. "Where do you go with the mei?" "It is Meinui, the season of the breadfruit," he replied.
That he had been one of the great of Nuka-hiva was certain; the fact was stamped indelibly upon his person, and though worn and faded to the ghastly green of old copper, it remained to proclaim his lineage and his rank. "Kaoha te iki!" said this ancient, as he stood in the path. "Kaoha e!" I saluted him. "Puaka piki enata" he said further, and pointed down the trail. What could he mean?
The horse had passed her, and turning about in the saddle Orivie replied to her greeting, while I added a courteous "Kaoha!" She looked at me with extraordinary attention, which I ascribed to my white ducks and traveling cap, while she asked who I was. Orivie replied that I was a stranger on my way over the mountains.
And he, with rich unction, offering at the same time his hand 'Mitai ehipe, mitai kaehae; kaoha nui! or, to translate freely: 'The ship is good, the victuals are up to the mark, and we part in friendship. Which testimonial uttered, he set off along the beach with his head bowed and the air of one deeply injured. I saw him go, on my side, with relief.
"A.P.A. Dieu." was his commendation of her to God, but Coot Pae was not Marquesan, neither was it French. She pronounced the words in the Marquesan way, and I knew at once. Coot pae is pronounced Coot Pye, and Coot Pye was Pahorai Calizte's way of imitating the American for Apae Kaoha. "Good-by, mama," was his quite Philadelphia closing of his letter to his mother.
Early in the mornings I called "Kaoha!" from my paepae to Mrs. Seventh Man, who came each day from her bath in the via puna attired in her earrings only.
With all his realism, he was a symbolist, a master of decoration." Past the governor's mansion, we turned sharply up the hill. Apart from all other dwellings, on a knoll, stood a Marquesan house. As we followed the steep trail past it, I called, "Kaoha!" "I hea?" said a woman, "Karavario? Where do you go? To Calvary?"
Vanquished Often and my valet were attired as I, and thus we shouted "Kaoha!" to the chieftess and started toward adventure. Seventh Man was dubious about my setting off without some prepared food, popoi or canned fish or biscuits, and without sleeping-mats. "You ketchee hungery by an' soon," he protested. "No got Gold Bed in mountains."
At each of the dozen houses we passed I had to stop and say Kaoha to the occupants. In these islands there is none of that coldness toward the casual passer-by which is common in America, where one may walk through the tiniest village and receive no salutation unless the village constable sees a fee in arresting the wayfarer for not having money or a job.
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