102 A N A C C O U N T O F
all wonderfully aftoniflied at the account he gave them of
its ufe and power, and not a little at hewing it tick.— It was
near an hour before’the meflenger returned, when the General
conducted them to the town, which was about half a
mile diftant; they arrived at another fquare pavement, fur-
rounded by a number of houfes; in the middle of this fquare
were quantities of yams and cocoa-nuts, in piles, with fweet
drink and fherbet; and on the outfide of the pavement was
feated a great concourfe Of people of both fexes. On Raa
K ook and the Rupacks appearing, they all refpe&fully rofe
Up; The General and his friends fieing feated, the attenl-
dants ferved out the provifions, firft to the General andhis
guefts, and then to the people who were placed round. It
was obferved, that all the women who were in the crowd
at the General’s arrival, as foon as the refrelhments-were
handed about, withdrew; and, what was very remarkable,
all the cocoa-nuts which were brought on this occafion,
were old nuts, whereas it had never been ufual at other entertainments
to fee any but young ones ; however they took
away the old ones which were placed before the Engliß,
and fet young ones in their room.
When this repaft, which' was eaten in the moft profound
filence, was nearly ended, there was heard at fome diftance
the lamentation o f women; Raa K ook touched Mr. Sharp,
who was fitting next to him, on the arm, and without fpeak-
ing, made figns to him with his hand to go and fee what
had
THE P E L: E W ISLANDS.
had'Accafioned this dif&efs; he and the boatfwain both rofe
up, and*dire<My"wen't to1 the 'place whence *thefe lounds of;
furrow-’ fefemed * t b proceed^ whetf they perceived^ a great
number o f Women following a dead body, which was tied
up in a mat, and 'laid on a kind of bier formed of’bamboos,
in ihape not unlikeL a chairman’s horfe, and fupported on
the ihoulders o f four men, no other m-ijes but the bearers
attending. Mr. Sharp and his companion were now^perfectly
fatisfied that this muft be the funeral o f R a a K ook’s
Toenfydt were-much puzzle! -to know why it had been conducted*
foifilently,, and*-«hat qofcqa word’or hint had been
m e n t i o n e d -'^dlthem'on the.matter; whether it was TrOm
that determined firmnefis< of mind which was armed againft
human weaknefs,- or- from' whatever other native, remained
then,'and ftill .muft remain, uncertain.— They arrived at
the.place of burial juft a& the people were fetting down
' the bier, and laying the body in the grave prepared’ for
it._The corpfe was depoftted without any ceremony.; the
men who had carried it began .immediately, with their
hands’ and feet, to throw the earth Aver it and fill up the
'grave, whilft the women knelt clown, and with loud cries
feemed as i f they would tear it up again, unwilling to be
.deprived o f the laft fight of a loved objeCt, which- death
had’ fnatched from them.— A heavy rain coming bn, drove
fome o f the people .away, as it did our two countrymen, to
the firft fhelter th ey could obtain. §381
163
1783.
O C TO E E R.
When