porter's journal. 



Ill 



canoes more minutely, and found the bodies of two of the 

 Typees, whom we had killed, in a bloated state, at the 

 bottom of that of the priest, and many other human car- 

 casses, with the flesh still on them, lying about the canoe. 

 The other canoes, they informed me, belonged to different 

 warriors who had been killed, or died not long since. I 

 asked them why they had placed their effigies in the ca- 

 noes, and also why they put the bodies of the dead Ty- 

 pees in that of the priest ? they told me (as Wilson inter- 

 preted) that they were going to heaven, and that it was 

 impossible to get there without canoes. The canoe of the 

 priest being large, he was unable to manage it himself, nor 

 was it right that he should, he being now a god. They 

 had, therefore, placed in it the bodies of the Happahs and 

 Typees, which had been killed since his death, to paddle 

 him to the place of his destination ; but he had not been 

 able yet to start, for the want of a full crew, as it would 

 require ten to paddle her, and as yet they had only pro- 

 cured eight. They told me also that the taboo, laid in 

 consequence of his death, would continue until he had 

 started on his voyage, which he would not be able to do 

 until they had killed two more of their enemies, and by 

 this means completed his crew. I inquired if he took any 

 sea stock with him. They told me he did, and point- 

 ihgto some red hogs in an enclosure, said that they were 

 intended for him, as well as a quantity of bread-fruit, 

 cocoa-nuts, &lc, which would be collected from the trees 

 in the grove. I inquired if he had far to go; they re- 

 plied, no : and pointing to a small square stone enclosure, 

 informed me that was their heaven, that he was to go 

 there. This place was tabooed, they told me, for every 

 one except their priests. 



Gattanewa was present at the time this information was 

 given me by some of the priest's servants or underlings, 

 who had the charge of the place, and resided in houses 

 constructed for them in front of the grove. Sometime 

 previous to this, I had been tabooed at my request, by 

 Gattanewa. This gave me the privilege of visiting and 

 examining all their places of rehgious worship, and I now 

 took advantage of my right by going into the grove among 

 the gods, accompanied by the attendants on the place. 

 Wilson could not accompany me there, and I was not ena- 



