THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
167 
tioned, being feated on the mat, began to ling a melancholy , 779 . 
tune, accompanied with a flow and gentle motion of the t March ' 
body and arms. When this had continued fome time, they 
raifed themfelves on their knees, and, in a pofture between 
kneeling and fitting, began by degrees to move their arms 
and their bodies with great rapidity, the tune always keep¬ 
ing pace with their motions. As thefe laft exertions were 
too violent to continue long, they refumed, at intervals, their 
flower movements; and, after this performance had lafted 
an hour, more mats were brought and fpread upon the area? 
and four or five elderly women, amongA whom, I was told, 
was the dead Chief’s wife, advanced flowly out of the houfe, 
and feating themfelves in the front of the flrfi company, 
began to cry and wail mofi bitterly; the women in the three 
rows behind joining them, whilfi the two men inclined 
their heads over them in a very melancholy and penfive at¬ 
titude. At this period of the rites, I was obliged to leave 
them to attend at the obfervatory; but returning within 
half an hour, found them in the fame fituation. I con¬ 
tinued with them till late in the evening, and left them 
proceeding, with little variation, as jufi defcribed; refolving, 
however, to attend early in the morning, to fee the remain¬ 
der of the ceremony. On my arrival at the houfe, as foon 
as it was day, I found, to my mortification, the crowd dif- 
perfed, and every thing quiet; and was given to underhand, 
that the corpfe was removed; nor could I learn in what 
manner it was difpofed of. I was interrupted in making 
farther inquiries for this purpofe, by the approach of three 
women of rank, who, whilA their attendants flood near 
them with their fly-flaps, fat down by us, and, entering into 
converfation, foon made me comprehend, that our prefence 
was a hindrance to the performance of fome neceffary rites. 
3 I had 
