1709. ROUND THE WORLD. l69 



bourhood, must have been brought from a consider- 

 able distance ; and there is no method of conveyance 

 here but by hand : the coral must also have been 

 fished from under the water, where, though it may 

 be found in plenty, it lies at a considerable depth, 

 never less than three feet. Both the rock stone and 

 the coral could be squared only by tools made of the 

 same substance, which must have been a work of in- 

 credible labour ; but the polishing was more easily 

 effected by means of the sharp coral sand, which is 

 found every where upon the sea-shore in great abun- 

 dance. In the middle of the top stood the image of 

 a bird, carved in w^ood ; and near it lay the broken 

 one of a fish, carved in stone. The whole of this 

 pyramid made part of one side of a spacious area or 

 square, nearly of equal sides, being three hundred 

 and sixty feet by three hundred and fifty-four, which 

 was walled in with stone, and paved with flat stones 

 in its whole extent ; though there were growing in 

 it, notwithstanding the pavement, several of the trees 

 which they call Etoa^ and plantains. About an hun- 

 dred yards to the west of this building was another 

 paved area or court, in which were several small 

 stages raised on wooden pillars, about seven feet 

 high, which are called by the Indians Ewattas, and 

 seem to be a kind of altars, as upon these are placed 

 provisions of all kinds as offerings to their gods : we 

 have since seen whole hogs placed upon them, and 

 we found here the skulls of above fifty, besides the 

 skulls of a great number of dogs. 



The principal object of ambition among these 

 people is to have a magnificent morai, and this was 

 a striking memorial of the rank and power of Oberea. 

 It has been remarked, that we did not find her in- 

 vested with the same authority that she exercised 

 when the Dolphin was at this place, and we now 

 learnt the reason of it. Our way from her house to 

 the morai lay along the sea-side, and we observed 

 every where under our feet a great number of human 



