120 OTAHITE TO OHETEROA CHAP. VI 
the end of his head-dress, or whow, so near the faces of the 
spectators as to make them start back, which was a joke 
that seldom failed to make everybody laugh, especially if it 
happened to one of us. 
We had also an opportunity of seeing the inside of the 
Ewharre no Eatua, so often mentioned: there were three of 
them, much ornamented with jaw-bones, and very full of 
bundles wrapped up in their cloth; these the people opened 
after some persuasion, and in them we found complete skulls, 
with their lower jaw-bones in their proper places; perhaps 
these were the skulls of those of the victorious party who 
died in battle, and the jaw-bones fastened on the outside 
were those of the conquered, but for this conjecture I had 
no authority from the Indians, who seemed to avoid as much 
as possible any questions upon the subject. 
3rd. Went along shore in the opposite direction to that 
we took yesterday, intending to spend most of our time in 
purchasing stock, which we have always found the people 
ready to part with at their houses, and selling cheaper than 
at the market. In the course of our walk we met a set of 
strolling dancers, called by the Indians heiva, who detained 
us two hours, and during all that time entertained us highly 
indeed. The party consisted of three drums, two women 
dancers and six men; these Tupia tells us go round the 
island, as we have seen the little heivas do at Otahite, but 
differ from those in that most of the members of the hewva 
here are important people, of which assertion we had in the 
case of one of the women an undoubted proof. 
The women had on their heads a quantity of tamou, or 
plaited hair, which was rolled, and flowers of gardenia were 
stuck between the interstices, making a head-dress truly 
elegant. Their shoulders, arms, and breasts as low as their 
arms were bare, below this they were covered with black 
cloth, and under each shoulder was placed a bunch of black 
feathers much as our ladies’ nosegays or bouquets. On 
their hips rested a quantity of cloth plaited very full, which 
reached almost up to their arms, and fell down below into 
long petticoats, reaching below their feet, which they managed 
