170 AVOYAGETO 



»777- ine a conch-flicll, which produces a very loud found. On 



December. ° ' r / 



' , ' hearing it, all his fubjecls are obhged to bring food of every 



fort to his royal refidence, in proportion to their abilities. 

 On fome other occafions, they carry their veneration for his 

 very name, to an extravagant and very defl:ru(5live pitch. For 

 if, on his accefTion to the ??tafo, any words in their language 

 be found to have a refemblance to it in found, they are changed 

 for others ; and if any man be bold enough not to comply, 

 and continue to ufc thofe words, not only he, but all his 

 relations, are immediately put to death. The fame feverity 

 is cxercifed toward thofe who fliall prefume to apply this 

 facrcd name to any animal.. And, agreeably to this cuftom 

 of his countrymen, Omai ufed to exprefs his indignation, 

 that the Englifli fliould give the names of prince or princefs 

 to their favourite horfcs or dogs. But while death is the 

 punilhmcnt for making free with the name of their fove- 

 reign, if abufe be only levelled at his government, the of- 

 fender cfcapes with the forfeiture of land and houfes. 



The king never enters tlie houfe of any of his fubjecfls ; 

 but has, in every diftridl, where he vifits, houfes belonging 

 to himfelf. And if, at any time, he fliould be obliged by 

 accident to deviate from this rule, the houfe thus honoured 

 with his prefence, and every part of its furniture, is burnt. 

 His fubje(5ls not only uncover to him, when prcfcnt, down 

 to the waift; but if he be at any particular place, a pole, 

 liaving a piece of cloth tied to it, is fet up ibmewhere 

 near, to which they pay the fame honours. His brothers 

 are alfo intitlcd to the firft part of the ceremony ; but the 

 women only uncover to ibe females of the royal family. 

 In fliort, they fecm even fupcrftitious in their refpeift to him, 

 and eftcem his perfon little lefs than facred. And it is, per- 

 haps, to thcfe circuraftanccs, that he owes the quiet pof- 



feflion 



