POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
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spacious houses, erected in most of the districts for 
public entertainments. These structures were frequently 
large, and well-built 5 and consisted of a roof supported 
by pillars, without any shelter for the sides. A low 
fence, called aumoa, surrounded the house; and the 
inside was covered with mats, on which the company sat 
and the dancers performed. The patau,' or prompter, 
sat by the drum, and regulated the several parts of the 
performance. After the athletic exercises of the day, 
the dances ensued in the evening, and were often con¬ 
tinued till the dawn of the following morning. There were 
gods supposed to preside over their dances, whose 
sanction patronized every immorality connected with 
them. 
The te-a, or archery, was also a sacred game, more so, 
perhaps, than any other. The bows, arrows, quiver, and 
cloth in which they were usually kept together, with 
the dresses worn by the archers, were ail sacred, and 
under the special care of persons regularly appointed to 
keep them. It was usually practised as a most honour¬ 
able recreation, between the residents of a place and their 
guests. The sport was generally followed either at the 
foot of a mountain, or on the sea-shore. My house, in 
the valley of Haamene at Huahine, stood very near an 
ancient vahi te-a, place of archery. Before commencing 
the game, the parties repaired to the marae,and performed 
several ceremonies; after which, they put on the archers’ 
dress, and preceded to the place appointed. They did 
not shoot at a mark; it was therefore only a trial of 
strength. In the place to which they shot the arrows, 
two small white flags were displayed, between which 
the arrows were directed. 
The bows were made of the light, tough wood of the 
