\ 



V 



450 



ARTS 



AND 



SCIENCES, 



REMA-RKS ON THE 



glofTy white ' and finning mats^, called e-vanne^ are made of tHc 



^ 



membranaceous and beft prepared part of the fame leaves of ewhara, 

 or athrodaSlylis, and fometimes of a kind of grafs : another and very 

 flrong fort, manufadured of ruih, Is ufed to fleep on, which even 

 the name of Moqa feems to imply : very nearly related to it is the 

 fort, which is often ftriped or checked with black, and ufed oc* 



cafionally for carpeting 



dance 



their dramatic pieces 



thefe lall mats are 20 or 30 yards in length 5 the bark of 



tree. 



/ 



which I could never difcover, forms their largeft and very ftrong 

 mats, called hohora, one of which, when expanded upon a femi 

 oval frame, is an ^}y^ or fail for their canoes. 



L 



The Taheiteans have various ornamental and cere mo 



dreffes, which they manufacture in a moil ingenious 



After the death of a perfon of fome note, one of the next 



; puts on a kind of mafquerade. drefs,. called by them Heva, 



NIOUS 



manner 



which is very remarkable. 



as 



well on account of its curious 



workmanfhip, as the ftrange affemblage of its parts and 



traordi 



nary appearance 



The enumeration of all the pieces belonging to 

 it, with a fhort defcription of tliem, will not perhaps be thought 



fuperfl 



y fet the arts of this people and their curiouS' 



contrivances in no improper light. The firft part of this drefs they 



h ■ 



call Td-oopo or head-piece 5 it is formed of a piece of mat tied 



together into the form of a cone or a cap, to w^hich they pafte a 



6 



piece 



