112 OTAHITE TO OHETEROA CHAP, vi 



The Gothic arch of which it consisted was supported on one 

 side by twenty-six, and on the other by thirty pillars, 

 or rather clumsy thick posts of about two feet high and 

 one thick ; most of these were carved with the heads 

 of men, boys, or other devices, as the rough fancy and 

 rougher workmanship of these stone-hatchet-furnished gentry 

 suggested and executed. The flats were filled with very 

 fine bread-fruit trees and an infinite number of cocoanuts, 

 upon which latter the inhabitants seem to depend much 

 more than those of Otahite ; we saw, however, large spaces 

 occupied by lagoons and salt swamps, upon which neither 

 bread-fruit nor cocoanut would thrive. 



18/^. This morning we went to take a further view of a 

 building which we had seen yesterday, and admired a good 

 deal, taking with us Tupia's boy Tayeto (he himself was too 

 much engaged with his friends to have time to accompany us). 

 The boy told us that the building was called JSwharre no 

 Eatua, or the house of the god, but could not explain at all 

 the use of it. It consisted of a chest whose lid was nicely 

 sewed on, and very neatly thatched over with palm -nut 

 leaves ; the whole was fixed on two poles by little arches of 

 very neatly carved wood. These poles seemed to be used in 

 carrying it from place to place, though when we saw it, it was 

 supported upon two posts. One end of the chest was open, 

 with a round hole within a square one ; this was yesterday 

 stopped up with a piece of cloth, which, lest I should offend 

 the people, I left untouched ; but to-day the cloth, and 

 probably the contents of the chest, were removed, as there 

 was nothing at all in it. 



Trade to-day does not go on with any spirit ; the people, 

 when anything is offered them, will not rely on their own 

 judgment, but take the opinion of twenty or thirty people 

 about them, a proceeding which takes up much time. 



19^. This morning trade was rather better; we obtained 

 three very large hogs and some pigs by producing hatchets, 

 which had not been before given, and which we had hoped 

 to have had no occasion for in an island not hitherto seen 

 by Europeans. 



