what is ft ill more Angular, the lady would not fuffer us to'
remonftrate with her hufband on his treatment o f her,
which w e were much inclined to do, and plainly told us,
that he had done no more than he ought.
Whilit I was afhore at the obfervatory at Karakakooa Bay,
I had twice an opportunity o f feeing a confiderable part o f
their funeral rites. Intelligence was brought me o f the
death o f an old C h ie f in a houfe near ou r abfervatories,
loon after the event happened. On g o in g to the place, I
found a number o f people aflembled, and feated round a
Square area, fronting the houfe in which the deceafed lay,
whilft a man, in a red feathered cap, advanced from an interior
part o f the houfe to the door, and putting out his
head, at almoft every moment tattered a moft lamentable
how l, accompanied with the moft fingular grimaces, and
violent diftortions o f his face, that can be conceived. After
this had palled a fhort time, a large mat was fpread upon
the area, and two men and thirteen women came out o f the
houfe and feated themfelves down upon it, in three equal
r o w s ; the two men, and three o f the women, being in
front. T h e necks and hands o f the women were decorated
w ith feathered ru f fs ; and broad green leaves, curioufly
fcolloped, were fpread over their lhoulders. At one corner
o f this area, near a fmall hut, were h a lf a dozen boys w avin
g fmall white banners, and the tufted wands, or taboo
flicks, which have been often mentioned in the former
chapters, who would not permit us to approach them. This
led me to imagine, that the dead body might be depofited
in this little h u t ; but I afterward underftood, that it was in
the houfe where the man in the red cap opened the rites,
b y p lay in g his tricks at the door. T he company juft mentioned,
being feated on the mat, began to ling a melancholy
tune,
tune, accompanied with a flow and gentle motion o f the jM.fi
body and arms. .jiyhen this had continuedffome time, the y »—
raifed themfelves on their knees, and, in . a pofture between
kn e e lin g and fitting, began by degrees to move their
arms and their bodies with great rapidity, the tune always
keeping:pace w ith their motions.-As thefe laft exertions were
too violent to continue long, .they refumed, at intervals, their
flower movements ; and,; after this performance had lafled
an hour, more mats: were b rought and fpread upon the area,
and four or-five elderly women,.amangft whom, I was told,
was the dead: C h ie f’s'wife,'advanced flowly out o f the houfe,
and feating themfelves in. the front o f the firft company,
began to c ry a n dw a il-m o ft b itte rly ; the women in the three
rows behind jo in in g , them,: whilft the two men inclined
their-heads over-them in.a very melancholy and penfive attitude.
A t this period o f the. rites, .I was obliged to leave
them, to attend- at,, the obferva to ry ; but returning within
h a lf an hour, found th em - in the. fame fituation, • I continued
with them till late in the -ev en in g , and- left them .
proceeding with little variation, as juft deferibed ; refolving,
however,- to attend early in the morning, to fee the remainder
o f the-ceremony. On my arrival at. the houfe,-as-foon
as .it-was day,- 1 found to-m-y mortification,- the crowd d i f - .
perfed, and every th in g q u ie t ; and was given to undcrftand,
that the corpfe w a s - rem o v ed ; nor could I learn in what
manner- it was difpofed- of.. I was interrupted in making-
farther inquiries for this purpofe, by the approach o f three
women o f rank, who-, whilft their attendants flood near
them with their fly-fla'ps, fat down by us, .andr entering into
eonverfation, foon made me comprehend, that our prefence
was a hindrance to the performance o f fome neceffary rites.
1 had