1773. ROUND THE WORLD. 207 



about fifty or sixty yards from the front of the house. 

 Presently came three elderly men ; who seated them- 

 selves between us and it, and began a speech, which 

 I understood to be a prayer, it being wholly directed 

 to the house. This lasted about ten minutes ; and 

 then the priests, for such I took them to be, came 

 and sat down along with us, when we made them 

 presents of such things as were about us. Having 

 then made signs to them that we wanted to view the 

 premises, my friend Attago immediately got up, and 

 going with us, without showing the least backward- 

 ness, gave us full liberty to examine every part of it. 

 In the front were two stone steps leading to the 

 top of the wall ; from this the ascent to the house 

 was easy, round which was a fine gravel walk. The 

 house was built, in all respects, like to their common 

 dwelling-houses ; that is, with posts and rafters, and 

 covered with palm thatch. The eaves came down 

 within about three feet of the ground, which space 

 was filled up with strong matting made of palm leaves 

 as a wall. The floor of the house was laid with fine 

 gravel, except in the middle, where there was an 

 oblong square of blue pebbles, raised about six inches 

 higher than the floor. At one corner of the house 

 stood an image rudely carved in wood, and on one 

 side lay another ; each about two feet in length. I, 

 who had no intention to offend either them or their 

 gods, did not so much as touch them, but asked 

 Attago, as well as I could, if they were Eatuas or 

 gods. Whether he understood me or no I cannot 

 say ; but he immediately turned them over and over, 

 in as rough a manner as he would have done any 

 other log of wood, which convinced me that they 

 were not there as representatives of the Divinity. I 

 was curious to know if the dead were interred there, 

 and asked Attago several questions relative thereto ; 

 but I was not sure that he understood me ; at least 

 I did not understand the answers he made, well 

 enough to satisfy my inquiries. For the reader must 



