living hog, a baked one, a quantity of yams, and a large
piece of cloth. When I returned to the king, I found him;
and his circle o f attendants, drinking the fecond bowl of
kava. That being emptied, he told Omaq that he was
going prefently to perform a mourning ceremony, called
°f-joge, on account of a fon who had been dead fome time ;
and he defired us to accompany him. We were glad of the
opportunity, expecting to fee fomewhat new or curious.
The firil thing the Chief did, was to ftep out of the houfe,
attended by two old women, and put on a new fuit of
dothes, or rather a new piece of cloth, and, over it, an old
ragged mat, that might have ferved his great grandfather-,
on fome fuch occafion. His fervants, or thofe who attended
him, were all dreifed in the fame manner, excepting that
none of their mats could vie, in antiquity, with that of their
mailer. Thus equipped, we marched off, preceded by about
eight or ten perfons, all in the-above- habits of ceremony,,
each o f them, befides, having a fmall green bough about
his neck. Poulaho held his bough in his hand, fill we drew
near the place of rendezvous» when he alio put it-about
his neck. We now entered a fmall inclofure, in which was
a neat houfe, and we found one man fitting before it. As.
the company entered, they pulled off- the green branches
from round their necks, and threw them away; The king
having firft feated himfelf, the others fat down before- him,,
in the ufual manner. . The circle increafed, by others dropping
in, to-the number of a hundred or upward, moftly
old men, all dreffed as above defcribed. The company
being completely affembled, a large-root oikava, brought by
one of- the king’s fervants, was produced, and a bowl which
contained four or five gallons. Several perfons now began
ia chew the root, and this bowl was made brimfull of
liquor..
liquor. While it was preparing, others were employed in *777-
making drinking cups of plantain leaves. The firft cup 1----.—
that was filled, was prefented to the king, and he ordered-
it to be given to another perfon. The fecond was alfo-
brought to him, which he drank, and the third was offered
to me. Afterward, as each cup was filled, the man who
filled it, afked, who was to have it! Another then named the
perfon ; and to him it was carried. As the bowl grew low,
the man who diftributed the liquor feemed rather at a-lofs
to whom cups of it fhould be next fent, and frequently con-
fulted thofe who fat near him. This mofie of diftributiore
continued, while any liquor remained; and though not,
half the company had a ihare, yet no one feemed diffatif-
fied. About half a dozeh cups, ferved for a l l a n d each, as.
it was emptied, was thrown down upon the ground, where
the fervants picked it up, and carried it to be filled again.,
During the whole time, the Chief and his circle fat, as was-
-ufually the cafe, with a great deal of gravity, hardly fpeak-
ing a word to each other.
We had long waited in expectation, each moment, of’
feeing, the mourning ceremony begin; when^ foon after
the kava was drank out, to our great furprize and difap-
pointment, they all-rofe up and difperfed ; and Poulaho told
us, he was now ready to attend us to the fhips. If this was<
a mourning ceremony, it was a ftrange one. Perhaps, ’it
was the feeond, third, or fourth mourning; or, which was1
not very uncommon, Omai might have mifunderftood what'
Poulaho faid to him. For, excepting the change of-drefs,
and the putting the green bough round their necks, nothing
feemed to have paired at this meeting, but what; we
few. them, practife, too frequently, every day.