ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 273 



most of the performers being negroes. Next followed the 

 missionaries in double file ; then the hearse, which was a small 

 plain cart, drawn by about twenty natives. Next came the king, 

 who walked immediately behind the coffin ; he was followed 

 closely by young Pitt, also alone, and then came the high chiefs, 

 men and women, to the number of about thirty, in double file. 

 On either side of the hearse, the magnificent kahiles were borne 

 aloft by a number of the sub-chiefs, and favorites of the royal 

 household, and so enormously heavy were some of these, par- 

 ticularly when the wind struck them, that each of them required 

 the utmost exertion of four or five strong men to keep it in a 

 vertical position. After the chiefs, followed all the respectable 

 foreigners, two and two, headed by the consuls, to the number of 

 perhaps a hundred ; then a long line of females, all habited in 

 deep black, and the rear was brought up by a motley throng of 

 all denominations, and in every variety of costume. From the 

 head of the procession, nearly to the foot on each side, walked 

 the king's guards in Indian file. They were dressed in a com- 

 plete suit of white, with red and blue cuffs to their jackets, and 

 every man carried his musket reversed. When the line was 

 formed, the band played a solemn dead march, and the proces- 

 sion moved toward the native church at the lower end of the town. 

 During the whole distance, about a mile, the ground had been 

 strown with fresh grass, forming a pleasant carpet, and prevent- 

 ing, in a great measure, the rising of clouds of dust, which would 

 otherwise have been very uncomfortable. 



The whole pageant was " got up" with the greatest splendor 

 and was conducted with singular order and regularity, nothing 

 occurring which in the slightest degree tended to produce con- 

 fusion. 



When the procession arrived at the church, the music ceased ; 

 a large bell which hangs in the area, was tolled every ten se- 

 conds, and the whole company entered the house and sought 



35 



