THEPACIFIC OCEAN. 33 



tain trees, which were laid upon the facrifice. Durin? this „ »777- 



' " September. 



prayer, a man, who llood by the officiating prieft, held in ' w — -^ 



his hands two bundles, feemingly of cloth. In one of them, 

 as we afterward found, was the royal maro ; and the other, 

 if I may be allowed the expreflion, was the ark of the 

 Eatooa. As foon as the prayer was ended, the priefls at the 

 moral, with their attendants, went and fat down by thofe 

 upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Plere 

 they renewed their prayers ; during which the plantain- 

 trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off 

 the facrifice ; which was partly wrapped up in cocoa leaves 

 and fmall branches. It was now taken out of the canoe, 

 and laid upon the beach, witii the feet to the fea. The 

 pricfts placed themfelves around it, fome fitting and others 

 Handing; and one, or more of them, repeated fentences for 

 about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by 

 removing the leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel di- 

 rection with the fea-fliore. One of the priefts then, ftand- 

 ing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he 

 was, at times, joined by the others ; each holding in his 

 hand a tuft of red feathers. In the courfe of this prayer, 

 fome hair was pulled off the head of the facrifice, and the 

 left eye taken out ; both which were prefented to Otoo, 

 wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however touch it ; 

 but gave, to the man who prefented if, the tuft of feathers, 

 which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair 

 and eye, was carried back to the prieRs. Soon after, Otoo 

 fent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given 

 me in the morning to keep in my pocket. During fome 

 part of this lafl: ceremony, a king-fiflier making a noife in 

 the trees, Otoo turned to me, faying, " That is the Eatooa " 

 and feemed to look upon it to be a good omen. 



Vol. II. F The 



