1777'
Sep tem b e r .
Tuefday 2.
allowed to approach as near as we pleafed. Indeed, after
that, neither ferioufnefs nor attention were much obferved
b y the fpe&ators. When the dog was put upon the whatta,
the priefts and attendants gave a kind o f ihout, w hich
clofed the ceremonies fo r the prefent. T h e day being now
alfo clofed, we were conducted to a houfe belonging to Po-
tatou, where we were entertained, and lodged for the night.
We had been told, that the religious rites were to be renewed
in the morning ; and P would not leave the place, while
any thing remained to be feen.
Being unw illin g to lofe any part o f the folcmnity, fume
o f us repaired to the fcene o f aition pretry early,- but found
nothing go in g forward. However, foon after, a pig was
facrificed, and laid upon the fame whatta with the others.
About eight o’clock, Otoo took us again to the rriorai, where
the priefts, and a great number o f men, were, b y this time,
affembled. T h e two bundles occupied the place in which
we had feen them depofited the preceding e v en in g ; the two
drums flood in the front o f the morat, but fomewhat nearer
it than b e fore; and the priefts were beyond them. Otoo
placed himfe lf between the two drums, and defired me to
ftand by him.
T h e ceremony began, as ufual, with b rin g in g a young
plantain-tree, and la y in g it down at the k in g ’s feet. After
this a prayer was.-repeated by the priefts, who held in their
hands feveral tufts o f red feathers, and alfo a plume o f
oftrich feathers, which I had given to Otoo on my firft arrival,
and had been confecrated to this ufe. When the
priefts had made an end o f the prayer, they changed their
ftation, placing themfelves between u s and the moral• and
one o f them, the fame perfon who had adted the principal
part
part the day before, began another p ra y er ,-w hich lafted
about h a lf an hour. Du ring the continuance o f this, the '__
tu fts 'o f feathers were, one by one, carried and laid upon
the ark o f the Eatoon. Rj
Some little time after, fou r pigs were produced ; one o f
w hich was immediatèly killed ; and the others were taken
to a fly, hard by, probably refèrved for Tòme future occa-
fion o f fàcrificè. O n e b f th e bundles was now untied ; and
it was found, as I have before obferved, to contain the
"mitre, with w hich thèfe people inveii their k in g s ; and which
Teems to anfwer, in Tome degree, to the European enfigns
o f royalty. It was-carefully taken-out Of thn cloth , in which
it had been wrapped upV’ hnd fpread, at fu ll length, upon
the ground before the priefts. It is a 'girdle, about five
yards long, and fift’een inches broad ;• and, from its name,
Teems1 to be put on in the fame manner as is the common
maro', or piece Of cloth, ufed, by thefe people, to wrap round
the waift. It was ornamented with red and yellOw feathers ;
but moftly with the latter, taken from a dove found upon
the iiland. T h e one end was bordered with e ight pieces,
each a b ou t1 the fize and iliape o f a horfeifhoé,' ha vin g their
edges frin ged with black feathers. T h e other end-was
forked, and the points were o f different lengths. T h e fea thers
\yere in fquare compartments, ranged in two rows,
and, otherwife, fo difpòfed as to produce a pleafing effeit.
T h e y had been firft pafted or fixedmpon fòme Of their own
country* cloth ; and then Tewed to the upper-end o f the
pendant which Captain Wallis had difplayed, and left fly in g
afhore, the firft time that he landed at Matavai. This was
what they told us ; and we had -no reafon to doubt it, as
w e could eafily trace the remains o f an -E n g lifh pendant.
About fix or eight inches fquare o f the maro was unornqy
mented 5