TAHITI. 33 



condition, they possessed many things which the natives were likely 

 to covet, for he exhorted his flock to depart, telling them that some of 

 the strangers' articles might be missing, and " then there would be 

 trouble." 



Here was witnessed a gorgeous sunset ; — the clouds to the west 

 being lighted up as it were with burnished gold, while to the east, 

 the rain-clouds overhanging the mountains, exhibited a triple rain- 

 bow, which at that hour was of course a complete semicircle. 



In the morning they set out early, and walked to Papara, over the 

 "Broom Road." This is about twelve feet in width, and is well 

 made, being raised above the level of the ground, and having ditches 

 on each side. Over the streams which cross its direction, are bridges 

 of loose planks. 



Previous to reaching Papara, they came to a large mound on a 

 point of land near the sea-shore. This is the same that is described 

 by Cook. The steps of which he speaks are now almost obliterated, 

 being entire only at one of the corners, and there is little appearance 

 of the stones having been squared. It is now about forty feet high ; 

 the space on the top is about twenty feet wide; the base is one 

 hundred and forty by fifty feet ; and it is almost entirely overgrown 

 with bushes. 



An account of the object of this structure was given by the old 

 chief of Panawea. As he is one of the most intelligent chiefs, and his 

 statement differs in some particulars from that given by Cook, I think 

 proper to insert it. This chief stated that it had not been used as a 

 place of sepulture or as a morai, but was a sort of temple or high 

 place on which the image of one of their gods had stood ; that for- 

 merly many such mounds had existed upon the island, but that 

 whenever war broke out between two districts, each was desirous to 

 obtain possession of the other's tehee or idol, for the loss of it was an 

 acknowledgment that the god was less powerful than that of the other 

 district ; that when one district had been subjugated by another, and 

 the two districts united into one, the mound of the conquered party 

 was destroyed. From this account it would appear that these struc- 

 tures had served to mark the boundaries of the several independent 

 districts. 



This account is rendered more probable from the fact that a morai 

 of quite a different character exists within a mile or two of this 

 mound. This is situated in the midst of a grove of large bread-fruit, 



VOL. II. 9 



