INITIATORY RITES. 
259 
greatness, were placed in prescribed order on the 
pavement. Over tliem a large leaf of the arum 
costatum was laid, and filled with water, in which 
he bathed the infant, laying upon it the sacred knife, 
or sting-ray bone. Tiarai, and the other priests 
who officiated, now offered over the infant an ubu , 
called the prayer of life, which was preferred to 
the tutelar god of the island. A surgical opera¬ 
tion was now performed, and the infant was re¬ 
moved to the fare apaa , a kind of tent, made by 
bending four pliant sticks or canes over a small 
mat; each end of the sticks being fixed in the 
ground, they formed a circular arch over the little 
bed. Upon the sticks the sacred cloth of the god 
was spread, to indicate that the child was admitted 
to the society of the gods, and exalted above ordi¬ 
nary men. Another temporary building, within 
the precincts of the temple, was prepared, to receive 
the infant, as soon as this ceremony terminated. 
In this building, called farehua , it remained five 
or six days, when it was taken to its parents’ 
dwelling. During the time the infant remained at 
the marae, the kindling of fire, launching of a 
canoe, or beating of cloth, was prohibited, on pain 
of death. 
From these ceremonies, and the privileges they 
were supposed to confer, all female children, except 
those of the king or highest chiefs, were excluded. 
The raatiras, or inferior chiefs, imitating the 
example of their superiors, endeavoured to secure 
renown for their children, by performing corre¬ 
sponding ceremonies at their family maraes, but no 
attention was paid io it, except by the members of 
the relatives and dependents. 
In the treatment of those children belonging to 
this class, formerly spared, a number of singular cus- 
s 2 
