i83S.] A HEATHEN FUNERAL CEREMONY. 423 



five days before. The hovel in which she had expired had 

 beea burnt to the ground ; her body being enclosed between 

 two small canoes, was placed upright on the ground, and 

 protected by an enclosure bearing wooden images of their 

 gods, and the whole was painted bright red, so as to be con- 

 spicuous from afar. Her gown w^as fastened to the coffin, 

 and her hair being cut off was cast at its foot. The relatives 

 of the family had torn the flesh of their arms, bodies, and 

 faces, so that they were covered with clotted blood ; and 

 the old women looked most filthy, disgusting objects. On 

 the following day some of the officers visited this place, and 

 found the women still howling and cutting themselves. 



We continued our walk, and soon reached Waiomlo. 

 Here there are some singular masses of limestone, I'e- 

 sembling ruined castles. These rocks have long served for 

 burial-places, and in consequence are held too sacred to be 

 approached. One of the young men, however, cried out, 

 " Let us all be brave," and ran on ahead ; but when within 

 a hundred yards, the whole party thought better of it, and 

 stopped short. With perfect indifference, however, they 

 allowed us to examine the whole place. At this village we 

 rested some hours, during which time there was a long 

 discussion with Mr. Bushby, concerning the right of sale of 

 certain lands. One old man, who appeared a perfect 

 genealogist, illustrated the successive possessors by bits of 

 stick driven into the ground. Before leaving the houses a 

 little basketful of roasted sweet potatoes was given to each 

 of our party; and we all, according to the custom, carried 

 them away to eat on the road. I noticed that among the 

 women employed in cooking, there was a man-slave ; it 

 must be a humiliating thing for a man in this warlike 

 country to be employed in doing that which is considered 

 as the lowest woman's work. Slaves are not allowed to 

 go to war ; but this perhaps can hardly be considered as 

 a hardship. I heard of one poor wretch who, during 

 hostilities, ran away to tiie opposite party; being met by 

 two men, he was immediately seized ; but as they could not 

 agree to whom he should belong, each stood over him 

 with a stone hatchet, and seemed determined that the other 

 at least should not take him away alive. The poor man, 

 almost dead with fright, was only saved by the address of a 

 :hief's wife. We afterwards enjoyed a pleasant walk back 

 CO the boat, but did not reach the ship till late in the 

 f evening. 



