EXHIBITIONS OF THE AREOIS. 235 
offering was also sent to the temple and to the 
gods, as an acknowledgment for the preservation 
they had experienced at sea. If they remained in 
the neighbourhood, preparations were made for 
their dances and other performances. 
On public occasions, their appearance was, in 
some respects, such as it is not proper to describe. 
Their bodies were painted with charcoal, and their 
faces, especially, stained with the mati, or scarlet 
dye. Sometimes they wore a girdle of the yellow 
ti leaves; which, in appearance, resembled the 
feather girdles of the Peruvians, or other South 
American tribes. At other times they wore a vest 
of ripe yellow plantain leaves, and ornamented 
their heads with wreaths of the bright yellow and 
scarlet leaves of the hutu, or Barringtonia; but, 
in general, their appearance was far more repulsive 
than when they wore these partial coverings. 
Upaupa was the name of many of their exhibi¬ 
tions. In performing these, they sometimes sat in 
a circle on the ground, and recited, in concert, a 
legend or song in honour of their gods, or some 
distinguished Areoi. The leader of the party stood 
in the centre, and introduced the recitation with a 
sort of prologue, when, with a number of fantastic 
movements and attitudes, those that sat around 
began their song in a low and measured tone and 
voice; which increased as they proceeded, till it 
became vociferous and unintelligibly rapid. It 
was also accompanied by movements of the arms 
and hands, in exact keeping with the tones of the 
voice, until they were wrought to the highest 
pitch of excitement. This they continued, until, 
becoming breathless and exhausted, they were 
obliged to suspend the performance. 
Their public entertainments frequently consisted 
