346 AVOYAGETO 



I777- from behind the curtain, but to mix with the a6lors them- 



July. 



' „ ' felves, if pollible. With this view, I ftole out from the 



plantation, and walked toward the moral, the fcene of the 

 folemnity. I was, feveral times, defired to go back, by 

 people whom I met ; but I paid no regard to them ; and they 

 fufFered me to pafs on. When I arrived at the morai^ I found 

 a number of men feated on the fide of the area, on each 

 fide of the road that leads up to it. A few were fitting on 

 the oppofite fide of the area ; and two men in the middle of 

 if, with their faces turned to the 'inorai. When I got into 

 the midfl of the firft company, I was delired to fit down 5 

 which I accordingly did. Where I fat, there were lying a 

 number of fmall bundles or parcels, compofed of cocoa-nut 

 leaves, and tied to flicks made into the form of hand- 

 barrows. All the information I could get about them was, 

 that they were taboo. Our number kept continually in- 

 creafing ; every one coming from the fame quarter. From 

 time to time, one or another of the company turned himfelf 

 to ihofe who were coming to join us, and made a fiiorc 

 fpeech ; in which I could remark that the word arekce, that 

 is King, was generally mentioned. One man faid fome- 

 thing that produced burfts of hearty laughter from all the 

 crowd ; others, of the fpeakers, met with public applaufe. 

 I was, feveral times, defired to leave the place ; and, at lafl,, 

 when they found that I would not llir, after fome feeming 

 confukation, they applied to me to uncover my fhoulders 

 as theirs were. Witli this requeft I complied ; and then they 

 feemed to be no longer uneai'y at my prefence. 



I fat a full hour, without any thing more going forward,^ 

 befide what I have mentioned. At length the prince, the 

 women, and the king, all came in, as they had done the 

 day before. The prince, being placed under the flied, after 



his 



