1 77*5- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 187 



feet high. This, which though much longer, was 

 lower than their common dwelling-places, we were 

 informed, was called hemanaa. The entrance into it 

 was at the middle of the side, which was in the 

 moral. On the farther side of this house, opposite 

 the entrance, stood two wooden images cut out of 

 one piece, with pedestals, in all about three feet high; 

 neither very indifferently designed nor executed. 

 These were said to be Eatooa no Vekeina, or repre- 

 sentations of goddesses. On the head of one of 

 them was a carved helmet, not unlike those worn by 

 the ancient warriors ; and on that of the other, a 

 cylindrical cap, resembling the head-dress at Ota- 

 heite, called tomon ; and both of them had pieces of 

 cloth tied about the loins, and hanging a consider- 

 able way down. At the side of each was also a piece 

 of carved wood with bits of the cloth hung on them 

 in the same manner; and between or before the 

 pedestals lay a quantity of fern in a heap. It was ob- 

 vious that this had been deposited there piece by 

 piece, and at different times ; for there was of it, in all 

 states, from what was quite decayed to what was still 

 fresh and green. 



In the middle of the house, and before the two 

 images, was an oblong space, inclosed by a low edging 

 of stone, and covered with shreds of the cloth so 

 often mentioned. This, on enquiry, we found was 

 the grave of seven chiefs, whose names were enume- 

 rated, and the place was called Heneene. We had 

 met already with so many striking instances of re- 

 semblance between the burying-place we were now 

 visiting and those of islands we had lately come from 

 in the South Pacific, that we had little doubt in our 

 minds that the resemblance existed also in the cere- 

 monies practised here, and particularly in the horrid 

 one of offering human sacrifices. Our suspicions were 

 too soon confirmed, by direct evidence. For, on 

 coming out of the house, just on one side of the en- 

 trance, we saw a small square place, and another still 

 less near it ; and on asking what these were ? our 



