the pa-ootoo, or a thin Mack board, o f the form o f a fegment o f
a circle, about a yard acrofs, and about fix or feven inches' wide, to
which they fix five mother o f pearl fhells, polifhed on both’fides;
on the extremities the two fhells are again- fringed, with pigeons
feathers, as in the pa -teoa, and from.them they- fufjoend" two taf-
fels, o f about 18 inches long, made o f pigeons feathers, called
'orro-orro ; the hoopa is made o f fmall.pieces o f mother o f pearl, Of
about an inch and a half, or two inches long, and one or tw o ; tenths
o f an inch wide, with adiole on. each end, by;, which thefe fmall
pieces are fixed in rows, fo as to form a kind o f apron ör ftomacheri
there are fometimes 1 5 or 20 rows o f thefe fmall pieces, in one
hoopa. I f we confider, that thefe holes are all bored'by other- fharp
fhells or bones, that the pieces rnuft be ground o f equal length'and
width, and then, fattened in fucb a manner? as to• lie flat, it mull be
obvious, that the making o f more than .2000; fmall pieces o f mother
o f pearl, and the joining them together^ i é 'a work o f imffienfe
labour,' requiring much time and. arv unwearied patience,.and what
is flill more, a nicety and accuracy in executing them,alb o f equal
length and. width : the par.ae therefore, or the compound o f thefe
four pieces, is reckoned among the natives one of their moft'curious
ornamental drefifes; and which they feldom part'with, unlefs for- a
very valuable confideration. Next to this follow the ahou-aiboo, which
is a flrong te'epoota, covered on. its forefide with circular, pieces of
cocoid
coco-nut (hell, o f about and'ineh ahd a half diameter, and dif- a r t s
pofed- fin rows_; .the\ abou-alboo-Mp u t over two other t’eepoofas, the SCIENGES
low;ermofi: of, which. is: white or:red- in the wideft, the next is brown
and narrower, and the abourdiboo is the naroweft of a l l : thefe
ahops they gather b y a belt o f twp -kinds- o f cloth, twilled Together
into-a-: rope,'and called naou-naiu-. over all this they fpread on the
back of the, chief mourner a kind o f mantle, made o f netting o f
firings, - andl covered; cm the outfide with glolfy pigeons; feathers;
this clpak'they call ahbu-roppein one’hand the maided man, performing.
the ceremony, wsat sl two flrong mother o f pearl oyfier.-
Ihells, which he - knocks 3agakif|.- one- another, and- eaufes- a. loud
Boife, announcing; his approach; thefe;. clappers'; are called tett'ey
the payho is held in the other hand, and Gonfifts o f a flick, into
which'a. row'of fharp fhar.k’s teeth is fattened, with which, they cut
the,people, who may happen to,-be, dilatory in retiring at th^ approach
of the folemn. proceflion..* All. the parts-of this one;drefs
are the moft ingenious and moll compound work. they, have on their
ifleSj^and muft of confequenee. require a peculiar handinefs and
fkill in executing with fa. much neatnefs and elegance..
: - The
* ’ In Hawkefworth’s Compilation, voK ii. p. 234, plate No. 5, and in Captain Cook’s.
.Voyage, vol. 1. p. 185, plate 44, is a reprefentation of a mandrefled in the hen)a, or mourning
drefs: but it muft be obferved, that the tropic bird’s feathers go not beyond the ta-oo/>o7.
and are never fixed- to'the;pakeea^ as has. been improperly.:represented,in the plate, drawn-iy
Mr. W. Hodges.;