120 OTAHITE TO OHETEROA CHAP, vi 



the end of his head-dress, or whow, so near the faces of the 

 spectators as to make them start back, which was a joke 

 that seldom failed to make everybody laugh, especially if it 

 happened to one of us. 



We had also an opportunity of seeing the inside of the 

 Ewharre no Eatua, so often mentioned : there were three of 

 them, much ornamented with jaw-bones, and very full of 

 bundles wrapped up in their cloth ; these the people opened 

 after some persuasion, and in them we found complete skulls, 

 with their lower jaw-bones in their proper places; perhaps 

 these were the skulls of those of the victorious party who 

 died in battle, and the jaw-bones fastened on the outside 

 were those of the conquered, but for this conjecture I had 

 no authority from the Indians, who seemed to avoid as much 

 as possible any questions upon the subject. 



3rd. Went along shore in the opposite direction to that 

 we took yesterday, intending to spend most of our time in 

 purchasing stock, which we have always found the people 

 ready to part with at their houses, and selling cheaper than 

 at the market. In the course of our walk we met a set of 

 strolling dancers, called by the Indians heiva, who detained 

 us two hours, and during all that time entertained us highly 

 indeed. The party consisted of three drums, two women 

 dancers and six men ; these Tupia tells us go round the 

 island, as we have seen the little heivas do at Otahite, but 

 differ from those in that most of the members of the heiva 

 here are important people, of which assertion we had in the 

 case of one of the women an undoubted proof. 



The women had on their heads a quantity of tamou, or 

 plaited hair, which was rolled, and flowers of gardenia were 

 stuck between the interstices, making a head-dress truly 

 elegant. Their shoulders, arms, and breasts as low as their 

 arms were bare, below this they were covered with black 

 cloth, and under each shoulder was placed a bunch of black 

 feathers much as our ladies' nosegays or bouquets. On 

 their hips rested a quantity of cloth plaited very full, which 

 reached almost up to their arms, and fell down below into 

 long petticoats, reaching below their feet, which they managed 



