DRUM, AND FLUTE. 197 
the blowing of this trumpet, they made a perfora¬ 
tion, about an inch in diameter, near the apex of 
the shell. Into this they inserted a bamboo cane, 
about three feet in length, which was secured by 
binding it to the shell with fine braid ; the aper¬ 
ture was rendered air-tight by cementing the 
outsides of it with a resinous gum from the bread¬ 
fruit tree. These shells were blown when a 
procession walked to the temple, or their warriors 
marched to battle, at the inauguration of the 
king, during the worship at the temple, or when a 
tabu, or restriction, was imposed in the name of 
the gods. We have sometimes heard them blown. 
The sound is extremely loud, but the most mono¬ 
tonous and dismal that it is possible to imagine. 
The ihara was another exceedingly noisy 
instrument. It was formed from the single joint 
of a large bamboo cane, cut off a short distance 
beyond the two ends or joints. In the centre, a 
long aperture was made from one joint towards 
the other. The ihara, when used, was placed 
horizontally on the ground, and beaten with 
sticks. It was not used in their worship, but 
simply as an amusement; its sounds were harsh 
and discordant. In its shape, &c. the ihara of 
the Polynesians appears to resemble the Topo- 
naztli of the Mexicans, described by Claverigo. 
The huehuetl, or drum of the latter, appears also 
to be much the same as the drum of the Tahi¬ 
tians, and was used on similar occasions. 
The vivo, or flute, was the most agreeable 
instrument used by the islanders. It was usually 
a bamboo cane, about an inch in diameter, and 
twelve or eighteen inches long. The joint in the 
cane formed one end of the flute ; the aperture 
through which it was blown was close to the end ; 
