528 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
relatives repaired to the spot, and joined in the tragic 
performance. 
I am not prepared to say that the same enormities 
were practised here as in the Sandwich Islands at these 
times, but on the death of a king or principal chief the 
scenes exhibited in and around the house were in ap¬ 
pearance demoniacal. The relatives and members of the 
household began; the other chiefs of the island and their 
relatives came to sympathize with the survivors, and, on 
reaching the place, joined in the infuriated conduct of 
the bereaved; the tenantry of the chiefs also came, and, 
giving themselves up to all the savage infatuation 
which the conduct of their associates or the influence of 
their superstitions inspired, they not only tore their hair, 
and lacerated their bodies, till they were covered with 
blood, but often fought with clubs and stones till murder 
followed. 
Auna has now some dreadful indentations on his skull 
from blows he received by stones on one of these occa¬ 
sions at Huahine; and in almost one of the last otohaa 
observed in the same island, a man was killed by the 
contents of the musket of another. Since the introduction 
of fire-arms, they have been used in these seasons; and 
the smoke and report of the guns must have added to 
the din and terrible confusion of the scene. I cannot 
conceive of a spectacle more appalling, than that which 
the infuriated rabble, smeared with their own blood, pre¬ 
senting every frightful distortion in feature, and frantic 
madness in action, must often have exhibited. This scene 
was sometimes continued for two or three successive 
days, or longer, on the death of a person of distinction. 
I have often conversed with the people on their reasons 
for this strange procedure, and have asked them if it 
