S. r. Smith.- — ToiKjarewa, or Pcnrliyii Tslaiid. 95 



back. Each then got behind one of the stones near the 

 priests, and presented the other parts of the husks. This they 

 did in a slow and decorous manner, raising their hands high 

 above their heads and putting the husks down before the 

 priests, who took them with a meek and reverend air, bent 

 over them, and, uttering a low, hurried incantation, threw them 

 over their left shoulders. After repeating this in different 

 parts of the inarae the whole party advanced to an altar— a 

 heap of rude stones. A youth, having cut three small l)ranches 

 of young cocoanut-tree, plaited the leaves into something re- 

 sembling the form of a man, and handed them to an old man. 

 On receiving these three gods he ascended the altar, and all 

 heads remained bowed in awe till the ceremony was ovei-. 

 The priest, on ascending the altar, seating himself in front of a 

 large stone while he held the gods in his hands, began to 

 glance round in every direction over the heads of the people 

 before him. A trembling motion, commencing in his hands, 

 extended through his whole body, till every limb shook in a 

 violent manner, the muscles working and veins swelling 

 almost to bursting — a sign that he was possessed by the 

 spirit. After uttering a few incoherent sentences, which sub- 

 sided into a low prayer or incantation, he lifted his leafy god 

 and struck him violently against the stone, repeating the pro- 

 cess with all three. They were then unceremoniously thrown 

 on one side. The three cocoanuts were now removed, and we 

 were marched once more out of the marac, and seated outside. 

 Here the nuts, after further ceremonies, were divided and 

 handed to us to eat. The natives then took us to a small 

 pool of fresh water, where, stooping their heads, with a peculiar 

 motion of the arms, they splashed themselves and us all over." 

 They were then taken to a place where the women were, who 

 performed a dance which Mr. Lamont calls a shulcai or 

 hukai, but which from the description is an exact counter- 

 part of the Maori liaka. Following this was a genuine Maori 

 taiigi, with the usual accompaniments of cutting the flesh, 

 weeping, wailing, kc. 



Another of their ceremonies was called harahara, a wel- 

 come to strangers, apparently just like the same custom of 

 the Maoris, and in which the Maoris sometimes use the 

 ancient chant beginning, " Hara mai hea, tere tere nui o 

 Tu, &c." Pilm (or pm, perhaps) was the name given to a chant 

 and dance which is very similar to the INIaori haha or kani- 

 kani. In making speeches the men were accustomed to take 

 short runs up and down, and at each turn to pour forth their 

 eloquence, exactly as the Maori does. 



The Tongarewans appear to have the same form of tapu as 

 elsewhere amongst the Polynesian race ; but according to 

 Lamont the word used was hniatua, which would mean the 



