OF THE SOUTH SEAS 329 



rocks down upon the French troops in narrow defiles. 

 We saw from our seats through the shadows of the 

 gorge of Punaruu two of the horns of Maiao, the 

 Diadem. In the far recesses of those mountains were 

 almost inaccessible caves in which the natives laid their 

 dead, and where one found still their moldering skele- 

 tons. M. Brault touched my shoulder. 



"Rumor has it that the body of Pomare the Fifth is 

 there," he said; "that it was taken secretly from the tomb 

 you have seen near Papeete, and carried here at night. 

 There are photographs of those old skeletons taken in 

 that grotto of the tupapaus, as the natives call the dead 

 and their ghosts. The natives will not discuss that 

 place." 



It was from Punaauia that Teriieroo a Teriierooterai 

 had gone to Papenoo to be chief. This was the seat of 

 his ancienne famille. Here he had been a deacon of 

 the church, as he was in Papenoo, because it meant so- 

 cial rank, and was possible insurance against an un- 

 known future. The church edifice was the gathering- 

 place, as once had been the marae, the native temple. 

 This was Sunday, and I passed a church every few 

 miles, the Roman Catholic and the Protestant vying. 

 They had matched each other in number since the 

 French admiral had exiled the British missionary-con- 

 sul, and compelled the queen to erect a papal church for 

 every bethel. 



Along the road and in the churchyards the preachers 

 and deacons were in black cloth, sweating as they 

 walked, their faces beatudinized as in America. 



Many carried large Bibles, and frowned on the merry, 

 singing crew who went by on foot, in carriages and au- 



