THEPACIFICOCEAN. 347 



his father's arrival, two men, each carrying a piece of mar, >777- 

 came, repeating fomething ferioufly, and put them about him. 

 The affenibled people now began their operations; and firft, 

 three companies ran backward and forward acrofs the area, as 

 defcribed in the account of the proceedingsof the former day. 

 Soon after, the two men, who fat in the middle of the area, 

 made a fliort fpeech or prayer ; and then the whole body, 

 amongft whom I had my place, ftarted up, and ran and 

 feated themfelves before the flied under which the prince, 

 and three or four men, were fitting. I was now partly under 

 the management of one of the company, who feemed very 

 affiduous to ferve me. By his means, I was placed in fuch 

 a fituation, that, if I had been allowed to make ufe of my 

 eyes, nothing that pafTed could have efcaped me. But it 

 was necefTary to fu with dovvn-caft looks, and demure as 

 maids. 



Soon after, the proceffion came in, as on the day before ; 

 each two pcrfons bearing on their fhoulders a pole, round 

 the middle of which, a cocoa-nut leaf was plaited. Thefe 

 were depofited with ceremonies fimilar to thofe obferved 

 on the. preceding day. This firft proceffion was followed 

 by a fecond ; the men compofing which, brought baflcets, 

 fuch as are ufually employed by this people to carry pro- 

 vifions in, and made of palm leaves. Thefe were followed ' 

 by a third proceffion, in which were brought different kinds 

 of fmall fifli ; each fixed at the end of a forked flick. The 

 baflvcts were carried up to an old man, whom I took to be 

 the Chief Prieff, and who fat on the prince's right-hand, 

 v;ithout the flied. He held each in his hand, while he made a 

 Ihort fpeech or prayer ; then laid it down, and called for 

 another, repeating the fame words as before ; and thus he 

 went through the whole number of bafkets. The fifli were 



Y y 2 prefented, 



