316 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. piece of cloth. When I returned to the king, I found 
him, and his circle of attendants, drinking the fecond 
bowl of kava. That being emptied, he told Omai, that 
he was going prefently to perform a mourning ceremony, 
called Tooge , on account of a fon who had been dead 
fome time; and he delired us to accompany him. We 
were glad of the opportunity, expedting to fee fomewhat 
new or curious. 
The firft thing the Chief did, was to ftep out of the houfe, 
attended by two old women, and put on a new fuit of 
clothes, or rather a new piece of cloth, and, over it, an old 
ragged mat, that might have ferved his great grandfather, 
on fome fuch occafion. His fervants, or thofe who attended 
him, were all drelfed in the fame manner, excepting that 
none of their mats could vie, in antiquity, with that of their 
mailer. Thus equipped, we marched off, preceded by about 
eight or ten perfons, all in the above habits of ceremony, 
each of them, belides, having a fmall green bough about 
his neck. Poulaho held his bough in his hand, till we drew 
near the place of rendezvous, when he alfo put it about 
his neck. We now entered a fmall inclofure, in which was 
a neat houfe, and we found one man fitting before it. As 
the company entered, they pulled off the green branches 
from round their necks, and threw them away. The king 
having firft feated himfelf, the others fat down before him, 
in the ufual manner. The circle increafed, by others drop¬ 
ping in, to the number of a hundred or upward, moftly 
old men, all drelfed as above defcribed. The company be¬ 
ing completely aftembled, a large root of kava , brought by 
one of the king’s fervants, was produced, and a bowl which 
contained four or live gallons. Several perfons now began 
to chew the root, and this bowl was made brimful! of 
liquor* 
