PENRHYN ISLAND. 273 



ciate, after which a feast was to be given by the queen to the chiefs 

 and children. 



As there was some novelty in this celebration, which was the first 

 of the kind attempted, I will give a short description of it, derived 

 from an eye-witness. First came the boys of Papieti and Papaoa, to 

 the number of about two hundred, dressed in blue cotton coats and 

 trousers, the seams bound with narrow strips of red and white cloth, 

 the facings of the coats of many colours, and not unfrequently the 

 coats themselves of diverse colours on the alternate sides : the skirts 

 were also of different colours; others were to be seen with white 

 jackets, and skirts of plaid cloth ; on their heads they wore home-made 

 cocked-hats, manufactured from bullock's-hide, on which were pasted 

 representations of men, birds, beasts, fishes, &c, cut out of coarse paper 

 or bark, and affixed with gum. 



Next followed the young men and boys of Matavai and Pappino, 

 similarly equipped. One among these attracted particular attention 

 for his cap was decorated with two tiers of small looking-glasses, sur- 

 mounted by a crown of feathers, a large bunch of which was stuck 

 into an old tin nutmeg-grater, in front, as a pompoon, while by way 

 of decoration was seen suspended on the left breast, by a blue riband, 

 the polished bottom of a brass candlestick. Many of the larger boys 

 had on epaulettes and swords ; others were armed with sticks, and had 

 epaulettes of shavings dyed yellow. A number of the older boys 

 carried flags of tapa, stained and decorated with fanciful devices. 



Next came all the female children, very neatly dressed, and the 

 queen, Pomare, with her attendant maids of honour, thirty in number, 

 arrayed in white, with neat straw bonnets, profusely decorated with 

 gay ribands and feathers: the larger proportion of them had short 

 stockings on for the first time in their lives : each of them carried a 

 silken scarf suspended to the end of a long reed, and the scarfs were 

 of every variety of colour. 



In the rear was Pomare-taui and the principal chiefs : the latter 

 were dressed in military costume, and their clothes fitted so well that 

 they might be termed well dressed. 



Near the chapel, sentinels were posted to keep off the crowd : these 

 had muskets, said to have been borrowed for the occasion, with which 

 they saluted the queen as she advanced. At intervals in the procession 

 were officers and the monitors of the schools, for the purpose of keeping 

 order. 



At the chapel, the services were conducted by Mr. Pritchard, who 

 made an address of an hour's duration, which was listened to with 

 great attention ; after which the procession formed again, the queen 

 vol. iv. 35 



