102 OTAHITE CHAP, v 



seven feet high, and too bulky in proportion to its height ; 

 the whole was neatly covered with feathers white to re- 

 present skin, and black to represent hair, and tallow on the 

 head, where were three protuberances which we should have 

 called horns, but the Indians called them tata ete (little 

 men). The image was called by them Manne. They said 

 it was the only one of the kind in Otahite, and readily 

 attempted to explain its use, but their language was totally 

 unintelligible, and seemed to refer to some customs to which 

 we are perfect strangers. Several miles farther on we went 

 ashore again, though we saw nothing remarkable but a 

 bury ing-ground, whose pavement was unusually neat. It 

 was ornamented by a pyramid about five feet high, covered 

 entirely with the fruits of Pandanus odorus and Cratceva 

 gynandra. In the middle, near the pyramid, was a small 

 image of stone very roughly worked, the first instance of 

 carving in stone that I have seen among these people. This 

 they seemed to value, as it was protected from the weather 

 by a kind of shed built purposely over it. Near it were 

 three human skulls, laid in order, very white and clean, and 

 quite perfect. 



We afterwards took a walk towards a point on which 

 we had from afar observed trees of etoa (Casuarina equiseti- 

 folia), from whence we judged that there would be some marai 

 in the neighbourhood ; nor were we disappointed, for we 

 had no sooner arrived there than we were struck with the 

 sight of a most enormous pile, certainly the masterpiece of 

 Indian architecture in this island, and so all the inhabitants 

 allowed. Its size and workmanship almost exceed belief. 

 Its form was similar to that of marais in general, resembling 

 the roof of a house, not smooth at the sides, but formed into 

 eleven steps, each of these four feet in height, making in 

 all 44 feet; its length was 267 feet, its breadth 71 feet. 

 Every one of these steps was formed of white coral stones, 

 most of them neatly squared and polished ; the rest were 

 round pebbles, but these, from their uniformity of size and 

 roundness, seemed to have been worked. Some of the coral 

 stones were very large, one I measured was 3-g- by 2|- feet. 



