S8 AVOYAGETO 



„ '777; mcntcd ; thcTC beinc: no feathers upon that fpace, except a 



September. *-' r i i 



few that had been fent by Wahcadooa, as already men- 

 tioned. The priefls made a long prayer, relative to this 

 part of the ceremony ; and, if I millook not, they called it 

 the prayer of the yjiaro. When it was finiflied, the badge of 

 royalty was carefully folded up, put into the cloth, and dc- 

 pofited again upon the moral. 



The other bundle, which I have diflinguiflicd by the 

 nan^c of the ark, was next opened, at one end But we 

 were not allowed to go near enough to examine its myfte- 

 rious contents. The information we received was, that the 

 Eotoooy to whom they had been facrificing, and whofe name 

 is Ooro, was concealed in it ; or rather, what is fuppoled to 

 reprefent him. This facred repofitory is made of the twifte'd 

 fibres of the hufk of the cocoa-nut, fliaped fomewhat like a 

 large fid, or fugar loaf ; that is, roundifli, with one end 

 much thicker than the other. We had, very often, got 

 fmall ones from dilTcrent people, but never knew their ufe 

 before. 



13y this time, the pig, that had been killed, was cleaned, 

 and the entrails taken out. Thefc happened to have a con- 

 fiderablc Ihare of thofe convulllvc motions, which often 

 appear, in difl'crent parts, after an animal is killed ; and 

 this was confidercd by the fpeftators as a very favourable 

 omen to the expedition, on account of which the facrifices 

 had been offered. After being expofed for fome time, that 

 thofe who chofe, might examine their appearances, the en- 

 trails were carried to the priells, and laid down before 

 them. While one of their number prayed, another in- 

 ipc<5fcd tlie entrails more narrowly, and kept turning them 

 gently with a Itick. When they had been fulliciently exa- 

 mined, they were thrown into the i'lix, and left to con- 

 fume. 



