34 cook's voyage to sf.pt. 



heart, liver, and kidneys were only roasted, by being 

 laid on the stones for a few minutes ; and the body 

 of the dog, after being besmeared with the blood 

 which had been collected in a cocoa-nut shell, and 

 dried over the fire, was, with the liver, &c. carried 

 and laid down before the priests, who sat praying 

 round the grave. They continued their ejaculations 

 over the dog for some time, while two men, at inter- 

 vals, beat on two drums very loud ; and a boy 

 screamed as before, in a loud shrill voice, three dif- 

 ferent times. This, as we were told, was to invite 

 the Eatooa to feast on the banquet that they had 

 prepared for him. As soon as the priests had ended 

 their prayers, the carcase of the dog, with what be- 

 longed to it, were laid on a whatta, or scaffold, about 

 six feet high, that stood close by, on which lay the 

 remains of two other dogs, and of two pigs which 

 had lately been sacrificed, and at this time emitted 

 an inlolerable stench. This kept us at a greater dis- 

 tance than would otherwise have been required of 

 us. For after the victim was removed from the sea- 

 side toward the moral, we were allowed to approach 

 as near as we pleased. Indeed, after that, neither 

 seriousness nor attention were much observed by the 

 spectators. When the dog was put upon the whatta, 

 the priests and attendants gave a kind of shout, which 

 closed the ceremonies for the present. The day 

 being now also closed, we were conducted to a house 

 belonging to Potatou, where we were entertained 

 and lodged for the night. We had been told that 

 the religious rites were to be renewed in the morn- 

 ing ; and I would not leave the place, while any 

 thing remained to be seen. 



Being unwilling to lose any part of the solemnity, 

 some of us repaired to the scene of action pretty 

 early, but found nothing going forward. However, 

 soon after, a pig was sacrificed, and laid upon the 

 same whatta with the others. About eight o'clock, 

 Otoo took us again to the moral, where the priests 

 and a great number of men were by this time assem- 



