32 TAHITI. 



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 structures 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, poorou, and 

 aiti trees. It is, like the other morais, an enclosure of quadrangular 

 form, about sixty yards in height, and thirty in breadth. The wall is 

 about ten feet thick and four feet high. The lower part of it is com- 

 posed of five rows of round stones, of uniform size, each about the size 

 of a man's head, which the natives now call turtle-heads, arranged like 

 cannon-balls in an arsenal. On these lies a course of square stones. 

 The corners of the wall are strengthened by square blocks. There 

 was also a flat stone, placed upright, at each corner, and another in 

 the middle of the enclosure, — the last of which is called a preaching 

 stone. 



The chief of Panawea likewise stated, that there used to be in each 

 of these morais a sort of platform, supported by stakes, on which were 

 laid the bodies of human victims, and the carcasses of hogs, on which 

 the tehee or god was supposed to feed : that the dead brought to the 

 place for interment were not buried immediately, but were placed in a 

 hut until all the flesh was consumed, after which the bones were care- 

 fully cleaned, and, with the exception of the skull, wrapped in many 

 folds of tapa, and deposited in the enclosure; that the skull was taken 

 home by the nearest relative, and kept as a talisman. He added, that 

 only the bones of chiefs were honoured in this way ; while those of 

 lower rank were deposited on the outside of the enclosure. 



Other accounts, however, state that these morais were never used 

 as ordinary places of burial, but that the bodies of enemies slain in 

 battle were brought to them, and consumed in a fire made on a thick 

 part of the wall. 



The party saw an old man, who had his deposit of bread-fruit in one 

 of these morais. The bread-fruit in its crude state will keep only for a 

 short time; but if buried in pits, it ferments and forms a substance 

 which may be long preserved, called mahi. This substance has a taste 

 like that of bee-bread, and is used at sea, in the voyages the natives 

 make to the Paumotu Group, and in their excursions in search of 

 pearls. 



The next place the party reached was Papara, at which Mr. Ors- 



