3J2 cook's voyage to june, 



and the whole was inclosed by large flat stones * of 

 hard coral rock, properly hewn, placed on their 

 edges ; one of which stones measured twelve feet 

 in length, two in breadth, and above one in thick- 

 ness. One of the houses, contrary to what we had 

 seen before, was open on one side ; and within it 

 were two rude wooden busts of men ; one near the 

 entrance, and the other farther in. On inquiring 

 of the natives who had followed us to the ground, 

 but durst not enter here, what these images were 

 intended for, they made us as sensible as we could 

 wish, that they were merely memorials of some 

 chiefs who had been buried there, and not the 

 representations of any deity. Such monuments, 

 it should seem, are seldom raised ; for these had 

 probably been erected several ages ago. We were 

 told that the dead had been buried in each of these 

 houses, but no marks of this appeared. In one of 

 them was the carved head of an Otaheite canoe, 

 which had been driven ashore on their coast, and 

 deposited here. At the foot of the rising ground 

 was a large area, or grass-plot, with different trees 

 planted about it; amongst which were several of 

 those called etoa, very large. These, as they 

 resemble the cypress, had a fine effect in such a 

 place. There was also a row of low palms near 

 one of the houses, and behind it a ditch, in which 

 lay a great number of old baskets. 



After dinner, or rather after we had refreshed 

 ourselves with some provisions which we had 

 brought with us from our ship, we made an excur- 

 sion into the country, taking a pretty large circuit, 

 attended by one of the king's ministers. Our train 

 was not great, as he would not suffer the rabble to 

 follow us. He also obliged all those whom we met 

 upon our progress, to sit down till we had passed j 



* The burying-places of the chiefs at the Caroline Islands, are 

 also inclosed in this manner. See Lettres Edifiantes et Cu- 

 rieuses, torn. xv. p. 309. 



