TAPUS 
86 
place where the body of the deceased is buried, 
or where his bones are finally placed. So sacred 
is the spot considered upon which a chief has 
died, that all upon that spot is destroyed with 
fire : but the people are generally so careful of 
their property, that they carry a sick person to 
the side of a stream, erect a small shed, just suf- 
ficient to shelter him from the rain, or to screen 
him from the rays of the sun, that the destruction 
which takes place at his death may not be any 
injury to those who survive. An old woman is 
generally appointed to feed and otherwise attend 
upon the sick man, in order that, during the length 
of time in which the nurse is obliged to remain in 
a state of consecration, the men may not be inter- 
fered with in any work wherein they are engaged, 
whether it be a work of profit or pleasure. There 
are several ways of placing the tapu upon both 
persons and things, and as many ways of remov- 
ing the restriction : all is, however, accompanied 
by some unintelligible jargon, so rapidly enun- 
ciated, as to render its scope, to say the least, 
very dubious. At the removal of a tapu, the cere- 
mony is that of passing a consecrated piece of 
wood over the right shoulder, round the loins, and 
back again over the left shoulder ; after which the 
stick is broken in two, and either buried, burned, 
or cast into the sea. Old women are generally the 
persons who suffer most, or, rather, who are most 
frequently honoured with the tapu, and with all 
the works connected with it; though there are 
