112 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
approached while his majesty was in the water, 
some of his attendants were stationed round, to 
prevent their coming too near, lest their saluta¬ 
tions should have been more direct and personal 
than would have proved agreeable. Yet, it is said 
that the parents of the present rulers of some of 
the islands, at the time of their inauguration, ac¬ 
tually played with these sharks, without receiving 
any injury. 
The fleet reaching the shore, the parties landed, 
when the king was placed on the papa rahi o ruea , 
or sacred couch of Oro, as his throne ; but in¬ 
stead of a footstool, the ordinary appendage to a 
throne, he reclined his head on the urua Tafeu , 
the sacred pillow of Tafeu. This was also cut 
out of a solid piece of wood, and ornamented with 
carving. 
The procession was now formed as before, and 
moving towards Tabutabuatea, the great national 
temple, Tairimoa, bearing the image of Oro, led 
the way. The king, reclining on his throne, or 
couch of royalty, followed immediately after. He 
was borne on the shoulders of four principal nobles 
connected w T ith the reigning family. The chiefs 
and priests followed in his train, the latter sound¬ 
ing their trumpets, and beating the large sacred 
drum, while the spectators shouted Maeva arii! 
as they 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 unu, 
or carved ornaments of wood erected in honour of 
the departed chiefs whose bones had been depo¬ 
sited there. 
The principal idol Oro, and his son Hiro, were 
placed by the side of the king, and the gods and 
