1 1 6 AVOYAGETO 



17_ 9- whar is ftill more fingular, the lady would not fuffcr us to 



March. ° ' 



renionftrate with her hufhand on his treatment of her, 

 which we were much inclined to do, and plainly told us, 

 that he had done no more than he ought. 



Whilft I was afhore at the obfervatory at Karakakooa Bay, 

 I had twice an opportunity of feeing a confiderable part of 

 their funeral rites. Intelligence was brought me of the 

 death of an old Chief in a houfe near our obfcrvatories, 

 foon after the event happened. On going to the place, I 

 found a number of people afTembled, and fcated round a 

 fquare area, fronting the houfe in which the deceafcd lay, 

 whilft a man, in a red feathered cap, advanced from an in- 

 terior part of the houfe to the door, and putting out his 

 head, at almoft every moment uttered a mod lamentable 

 howl, accompanied with the moft lingular grimaces, and 

 violent diftortions of his face, that can be conceived. After 

 this had parted a fhort time, a large mat was fpread upon 

 the area, and two men and thirteen women came out of the 

 houfe and fcated themfelves down upon it, in three equal 

 rows; the two men, and three of the women, being in 

 front. The necks and hands of the women were decorated 

 with feathered ruffs ; and broad green leaves, curiouily 

 fcolloped, were fpread over their fhoulders. At one corner 

 of this are.i, near a fmall hut, were half a dozen boys wav- 

 ing fmall white banners, and the tufted wands, or taboo 

 llicks, which have been often mentioned in the former 

 chapters, who would not permit us to approach them. This 

 .led me to imagine, that the dead body might be depofited 

 in this little hut; but I afterward undcrftood, that it whs. in 

 the houfe where the man in the red cap opened the rites, 

 by playing his tricks at the door. The company juft men- 

 tioned, being fcated on the mat, began to fing a melancholy 



tune, 



