560 



UEMARKS ON THE 



RELIGION, the corpfe or bier is depofited under the ilied either on poflg 



or on a flage made on purpofe, and left there till the flefh putrifies 



Meat, fru 



and water are often 



and feparates from the bones, 

 brought to the ^iipaphu and left at a fmall diftance from it 5 nor do 

 the relations forget to ornament the Tupafou with cloth and gar- 

 lands of the ewharra-fruit ( Athrodadiylis ) and 

 And near it are generally to be it^n one 



leaves 



more 



of the kind 



called Cafuarina equifetifolia. The female relations teftify their 

 grief by tears and by cutting the crown of the head with a fliark's 

 tooth : the blood flowing from the wound as well as the tears fhed 

 on this folemn occafion are received on pieces of their cloth and 



then thrown under the bier, as well as the hair cut off 



fome 



young people on this occafiop. Some days after thefe ceremonies 



V 



have been performed, one of the neareft relations takes up the 

 ^^•y^-drefs defcribed before p. 450, 453. and holding in one hand 



r 



a clapper made of two large mother of pearl fhells ; and in the 

 other a fiat cudgel. fet with ihark's teeth along its edge, he begins 

 a folemn proceffi on from the houfe of the deceafed by a long 

 circuit to the Tupapbu, preceded by two or more people almoil 

 naked and blackened by a mixture of charcoal and water, who are 



called N 



1. e. 



me or ma3, fuppofing them to be 

 tranfported by the phrenzy of grief, for if the chief mourner per- 

 forming the keva, fhould happen to meet any perfon during his 



■ 



circuit. 



( 



