A DINNER PARTY AT IMEEo.

BY HERMAN MELVILLE.
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It was just in the middle of the merry, mellow afternoon. that they ushered us to dinner, underneath green shelter of pal,n boughs, open all around, and so low at the caves that we stopped to enter.

 Within, the ground was strewn over with aromatic ferns, called snahee,o freshly gathered, which stirred under foot, ditlused the sweetest odor On one side was row of yellow mats, mwrought with fbres of bark stained bright red. Here. seated after tile fashion of iiie Turk, NC -iet.keA- out, over a ver'lant bank. upon the maid, blue. endless Pacific. S., far round had we skirt ed ihe island, that the view of Tahiti was now intercepted.

 Upon the ferns before us, were laid seve- ral layers of bioad, thick "pooroo" tapping over one upon the oiher''. Aud npoa these where placed side by side, newly-piucked banana leaves, at leas: two yards tn length, and very wide. The Stalks were withdrawn, so as to make them lis flat This green cloth was set oul and garnished in tue man ner following.

 First, number of 'spooroo" leaves, by way of plaIes, were ranged along on one side, and by each was a rustic nnl-bowl, half filled with sea water, and 1allIlian roll. or small bread fruit, roas ed brown - An immense flat ealabasl, placed in the centre, was heaped up with numberless small packages Of moist, sieaming leaves In each was a small fish. baked in lhe earth. and done to a turn. This pyramid of a dish was fianked on either side by an nrua- mental calahash One was brimning with the golden hued ''poee." or pudding, made from the rel! plau,ain of ihe mountains; the other was stacked up with the cakes of ,lie Indian turnip, previously macefaIed in a mortar, kneaded with inc milk of tie cocoa nut, and then baked. In the spaces between the tree dishes, were piled yonng cocoa nnls, stripped of their husks. Their eyes had been opened and enlarged, SO that each was ready -chaiged goblet,

 There was sor, of side cloth in one corner. upon which, in bright buff jackets, lay the fartes, of bananas; ssavees," !" rcd ripe; guavas, with the shadows of theis crimson pulp flashing through transparent skin. and ai- f.as. coming and going there like biashes 1; oranges, iiaged here and there befty.hscwl; and great p.lly melons, which rolled about in every poriiinessl S:irh heap. All ruidy. ripe and round hass..ag with lhe good cheer cf lhe .rop'eal soil from which they sprsng.

 { "A lan.i of ,rchasisr' cried ti,e doctor, iil rapture; and he saasched a rnorsel from a sort of irnit cf which geHsleaneii of the ssa- gaiue temperament are fenasAa'ay foad