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545 



called by them ^eehee. To ornament the marais and to honour religion, 



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by it the gods and the decayed buried there, the inhabi 

 feveral forts of trees, near them; above all the Cafuarina 

 equifetifoUa or Toa-tree is the moft common, not only in Taheitee 

 and its neighbourhood, but even in the Friendly iflands -, v^here 

 exceeding large trees v^ere obferved by us, near their Ajjayetoocas 

 cr places of burial and worfliip. The Tamanoo or Galophyllum 

 inophyllum, is likewife planted near the Marais, 



as IS 



the 



\ 



Bj-meero or Hibifcus populneus ; with the Ewharra or Athro- 

 dadlylis; and laftly the Etee qv Dracaena terminalis, of which there 

 is ^one variety with red flowers, and red vein.s in the leaves, with 

 many others^ 



The fecond mark of reverence paid to their divinities, confifts 

 Jn the appointment of certain days appropriated for their worfliip. 

 Though I cannot with any precifion point out any day which they 

 peculiarly celebrated as an anniverfary feaft or holiday; it is 

 laeverthelefs certain from the accounts I repeatedly heard, that they 

 did obferve fome days as feafls. 



Another way of declaring their refped for their divinities is the . 



ppointment of 



perfons for -the peculiar performance of 



prayers, rites, and ceremonies. Each great chief or king of an 



r 

 - 



iiland choofes from among the inferior chiefs an intelligent perfon, 

 who is to be his Tahoniva or prieft ; whofe bufinefs it is to pray 



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and 



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