Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life

Dogs are present in the valley, and Tommo compares them to “big hairless rats” (210). He would like to kill one, but Mehevi says that killing a dog is taboo. On one occasion, Tommo wakes up and discovers a black cat sitting near his bed. He has never seen the creature before and cannot speculate about how it came to live on the island. The island is also home to many gold-colored lizards, though it has no snakes or even any mosquitos, even though European ships have spread mosquitos across the South Pacific. The island is home to many beautiful birds. These birds seem almost tame, landing on people’s shoulders or arms. The only creatures that annoy Tommo are the black flies, which knock annoyingly into his face, though they never sting him. He likes the climate too, even though rain is common. He compares the weather to June or July in Europe. The warm weather produces year-round coconut harvests. Young men climb trees to pick coconuts whenever they please.

During one of his regular walks with Kory-Kory, Tommo comes upon the house where the tattoo artist lives. He sees the artist “touching up” the old