POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
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proceeded to the temple. The multitude followed them 
into the court of the marae, where the king’s couch or 
throne was fixed upon the elevated stone platform, in the 
midst of the uru, or carved ornaments of wood erected in 
honour of the departed chiefs whose bones had been de¬ 
posited there. 
The principal idol Oro, and his son Hiro, were placed 
by the side of the king, and the gods and the king here 
received the homage and tribute of allegiance from the 
people. A veil must be thrown over the vices with which 
the ceremonies were concluded. 
Although this ceremony was one of the least offensive 
festivities that ever occurred among them, the murderous 
cruelty with which it commenced, and the wickedness 
with which it terminated, were adapted to impress the 
mind with acutest anguish and deepest commiseration. 
The abominations continued until the blowing of the 
trumpet on board the canoes required every one to depart 
from the temple. They now repaired to the banquet or 
feast provided for the occasion, and passed the remainder 
of the day in unrestrained indulgence and excess. 
The phraseology of the Tahitian court was in perfect 
accordance with the elevation, and sacred connexion with 
their divinities, which the binding on the red girdle was 
designed to recognize and ratify. The preposterous 
vanity and adulation in language, used in epithets be¬ 
stowed upon the king of Tahiti and his establishment, 
fully equal those employed in the most gorgeous esta¬ 
blishment of Eastern princes, or the seraglios of Turkish 
sultans. 
It was not only declared that Oro was the father of 
the king, as was implied by the address of the priest 
when arraying him in the sacred girdle, and the station 
