1777- mented; there be in g no feathers upon that fpace, except a
Stptcmber: f ew that had been fent b y Waheadooa, as already mentioned.
T h e priefts made a lo n g prayer, relative to this
part o f the c e rem on y ; and, i f I miftook not, they called it
the prayer o f -the maro. When it was finiihed, the badge o f
royalty was carefu lly folded up, put into the cloth, and de-
polited again upon the moral.
T h e other bundle, w hich I have dillinguifhed b y the
name o f the ark, was next opened, at one end. But we
were not allowed to go near enough to examine its myite-
rious contents. T h e information w e received was, that the
Eatooa, to whom they had been facrificing, and whofe name
is Ooro, was concealed in i t ; or rather, what is fuppofed to
reprefent h im. T h is facred repoiitory is made o f the twilled
fibres o f the h u lk o f the cocoa-nut, ihaped fomewhat lik e a
large fid, or fu g a r - lo a f; that is, roundilh, w ith one end
m u ch thicker than the other. We had, ve ry often, got
fmall ones from different people, but never kn ew their ufe
before.
By this time, the pig, that had been killed, was cleaned,
and the entrails taken out. The fe happened to have, a con-
fiderable ihare o f thofe convulfive motions, w hich often
appear, in different parts, after an animal is k ille d ; jand
this was confidered b y the fpeflators as a very favourable
omen to the expedition, on account o f w hich the facrifices
had been offered. After being expofed for fome time, that
thofe who;chofe, m igh t e x a m i n e their appearances, the entrails
were carried, to the priefts* and laid down before
them. While one o f their number prayed, another in -
fpected the entrails more narrowly, and kept turning,them
gently; with a flick. W^hen they had been fuificiently exam
in e d , they w e re thrown into the fire, and left to confume.
fume. T h e facrificed pig, and its liver, were now put -
upon the •whatta, where the dog had been depofited the day >— v~—t.
before; and then all the feathers, except the ollrich plume,
were inclofed w ith the Eatooa,. in the a r k ; and the folemnity
finally clofed. •
Four double canoes la y upon the beach, before the place o f
facrifice, all the morning. On the fore-part o f each o f thefe,
was fixed a fmall platform, covered with palm-leaves, tied
in myllerious k n o t s ; and this alfo is called a moral. Some
cocoa-nuts, plantains, pieces o f bread-fruit, filh, and other
things, la y upon each o f thefe naval morals. We were told,
that they belonged to the Eatooa; and that they were to attend
the fleet defigned to go againlt Eimeo.
T h e unhappy vidtim, offered to the o b je il o f their worlhip
upon this occafibn, feemed to be a middle-aged m a n ; and, as
we were told, was a tow tow; that is, one o f t.he lowefl: clafs o f
the people. But, after a ll m y inquiries, I could not learn,
that he had been pitched upon, on account o f any particular
crime, committed by him, me riting death. It is certain,
however, that they gen erally make choice o f fuch gu ilty
perfons fo r their facr ifices ; or elfe o f common, low, f e l lows,
w ho ftroll about, from place to place, and from illand
to illand, without ha vin g any fixed abode, or any vifible w a y
o f ge tting an honeft live liho od ; o f w hich defcription o f men,
enough are to be met with at thefe iflands. Having had an
opportunity o f examining the appearance o f the body o f
the poor fufferer, now offered up, I could obferve, that it
was bloody about th'e head and face, and a good deal bruifed
upon the right temple ; w h ich marked the manner o f his
b e in g killed. And we were told, that he had been privately
knocked on the head with a ftone.
Thofe