568 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
by their respective friends. They were usually betrothed 
to each other during their childhood, and the female thus 
betrothed was called a vahine pahio. As she grew up, 
a small platform, of considerable elevation, was erected 
for her abode, within the dwelling of her parents. Here 
she slept, and spent the whole of the time she passed 
within doors. Her parents, or some member of the 
family, attended her by night and by day, supplied her 
with every necessary, and accompanied her whenever she 
left the house. 
When the time fixed for the marriage arrived, and the 
parties themselves agreed to the union, great prepara¬ 
tions were made for the dances, amusements, and festive 
entertainment, usual on such occasions. A company of 
Areois generally attended, and, on the day preceding the 
nuptials, commenced their upaupa, or dance, and pan¬ 
tomimic exhibitions. 
On the morning of the marriage-day, a temporary 
altar wias erected in the house of the bride. The relics 
of her ancestors, perhaps their skulls or bones, were 
placed upon it, and covered with fine white native cloth; 
presents of white cloth were also given by her parents, 
and those relatives of the family who attended. 
The sanction of the gods they considered essential to 
the marriage contract, and these preliminaries being 
adjusted, the parties repaired to the marae^ or temple. 
The ceremony was generally performed in the family 
marae, excepting when the parties were connected with 
the reigning family, which rendered it necessary that it 
should be solemnized in the temple of Oro or of Tane, 
the two principal national idols. On entering the 
temple, the bride and bridegroom changed their dresses, 
and arrayed themselves in their wedding garments. 
