1777' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 397 



to the poles were yams ; so that, probably, they were 

 meant to represent this root emblematically. The 

 hindmost men of each couple, for the most part, 

 placed one of his hands to the middle of the pole, 

 as if, without this additional support, it were not 

 strong enough to carry the weight that hung to it, 

 and under which they all seemed to bend as they 

 walked. This procession consisted of one hundred 

 and eight pairs, and all, or most of them, men of 

 rank. They came close by the fence behind which 

 we stood ; so that we had a full view of them. 



Having waited here till they had all passed, we 

 then repaired to Poulaho's house, and saw him going 

 out. We could not be allowed to follow him ; but 

 were forthwith conducted to the place allotted to 

 us, which was behind a fence, adjoining to the area 

 of the Jiatooka where the yams had been deposited 

 in the forenoon. As we were not the only people 

 who were excluded from being publicly present at 

 this ceremony, but allowed to peep from behind the 

 curtain, we had a good deal of company ; and I ob- 

 served that all the other inclosures round the place 

 were filled with people. And yet all imaginable care 

 seemed to be taken that they should see as little as 

 possible ; for the fences had not only been repaired 

 that morning, but, in many places, raised higher 

 than common ; so that the tallest man could not look 

 over them. To remedy this defect in our station, 

 we took the liberty to cut holes in the fence with our 

 knives ; and by this means we could see, pretty dis- 

 tinctly, every thing that was transacting on the other 

 side. 



On our arrival at our station, we found two or 

 three hundred people sitting on the grass near the 

 end of the road that opened into the area of the 

 moral, and the number continually increased, by 

 others joining them. At length arrived a few men 

 carrying some small poles, and branches or leaves of 

 the cocoa-nut tree ; and, upon their first appearance, 



