MARRIAGE CEREMONY. 
271 
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 essen- 
tial to the marriage contract, and these prelimi¬ 
naries 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, which were afterwards considered 
sacred; they took their stations in the place 
appointed for them, the bride on one side of the 
area, and the bridegroom on the other, five or six 
yards apart. 
The priest now came forward, clad in the habi¬ 
liments of his office, and, standing before them, 
addressed the bridegroom usually in the following 
terms : Eita anei oe a faarue i ta oe vahine ? 
“ Will you not cast away your wife ?” to which 
the bridegroom answered, Eita ; “ No.” Turn¬ 
ing to the bride, he proposed to her the same 
question, and received a similar answer. The 
priest then addressed them both, saying, “ Happy 
will it be, if thus with ye two.” He then offered 
a prayer to the gods in their belialf, imploring for 
them that they might live in affection, and realize 
the happiness marriage was designed to secure. 
The relatives now brought a large piece of white 
cloth, which they call ahu vauvau , spreading 
cloth : it was spread out on the pavement of the 
