THEPACIFICOCEAN. SS 



cloth, and the drums ; the laft of which beat ilowlv. The „ '777- 



' Septemhar. 



feathers and bundles were laid againft the pile of {tones, 

 and the corpfe at the foot of them. The priefts having again 

 feated themfclves round it, renewed their prayers j while 

 fome of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, 

 into which they threw the unhappy viftim, and covered it 

 over with earth and ftones. While they were putting him 

 into the grave, a boy fqucaked aloud, and Omai faid to 

 me, that it was the Eatooa. During this time, a fire having 

 been made, the dog, before mentioned, was produced, and 

 killed, by twilling his neck, and fuffocating him. The hair 

 was finged off, and the entrails taken out, and thrown in- 

 to the lire, where they were left to confume. But the 

 heart, liver, and kidneys were .only roaftcd, by being laid 

 on hot flones for a few minutes ; and the body of the dog, 

 after being bcfmearcd with the blood, which had been col- 

 leifted into a cocoa-nut fliell, and dried over the fire, was, 

 with the liver, C^c. carried and laid down before the priefts, 

 who fat praying, round tlie grave. They continued their 

 ejaculations over the dog, for fome time, while two men, 

 at intervals, beat on two drums very loud; and a boy 

 fcreamed, as before, in a loud, flirill voice, three dillcrent 

 times. This, as we were told, was to invite the Eatooa to feaft 

 on the banquet that they had prepared for him. As foon as 

 the priefts had ended their prayers, the carcafe of the dog, 

 with what belonged to it, were laid on a ivhatta, or fcaifold, 

 about fix feet high, that (lood clofe by, on which lay the 

 remains of two other dogs, and of two pigs, which had 

 lately been facrificed, and, at this time, emitted an intole- 

 rable ftcnch. This kept us at a greater diftance, than would, 

 oiherwife, have been required of us. For, after the viiftim 

 was removed from the fea-fide toward the vwrai, wc were 



F 2 allowed 



