POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
349 
only to the use of these sacred personages. No indi¬ 
vidual was allowed to touch the bodies of the king or 
queen 5 and every one who should stand over them^ or 
pass the hand over their heads, would be liable to pay 
for the sacrilegious act with the forfeiture of his life. 
It was on account of this supposed sacredness of person 
that they could never enter any dwelling, excepting 
those that were specially dedicated to their use, and 
prohibited to all others; nor might they tread on the 
ground in any part of the island but their own here¬ 
ditary districts. 
The sovereign and his consort always appeared in 
public on men’s shoulders,* and travelled in this man¬ 
ner wherever they journeyed by land. They were 
seated on the neck or shoulders of their bearers, who 
were generally stout athletic men. The persons of the 
men, in consequence of their office, were regarded as 
sacred. The individuals thus elevated appeared to sit 
with ease and security, holding slightly by the head, 
while their feet hung down on the breast, and were 
clasped iii the arms of the bearer. When they travelled, 
they proceeded at a tolerably rapid pace, frequently six 
miles within the hour. A number of attendants ran by 
the side of the bearers, or followed in their train; and 
when the men who carried the royal personages grew 
weary, they were relieved by others. 
The king and queen were always accompanied by 
several pair of sacred men, or bearers, and the transit 
from the shoulders of one to those of another, at the 
termination of an ordinary stage, was accompanied with 
much greater despatch than the horses of a mail-coach 
are changed, or an equestrian could alight and remount. 
• As represented in the engraving, inserted at page 6i, Vol. I. 
