THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
347 
his father’s arrival, two men, each carrying a piece of mat, 
came, repeating fomething ferioufly, and put them about 
him. The affembled people now began their operations; 
and firft, three companies ran backward and forward acrofs 
the area, as defcribed in the account of the proceedings of 
the former day. Soon after, the two men, who fat in the 
middle of the area, made a fliort fpeech or prayer; and 
then the w'hole body, amongft whom I had my place, ftart- 
ed up, and ran and feated themfelves before the ihed under 
which the prince, and three or four men, were fitting. I 
was now partly under the management of one of the com” 
pany, who feemed very afliduous to ferve me. By his 
means, I was placed in fuch a fituation, that, if I had been 
allowed to make ufe of my eyes, nothing that palled could 
have efcaped me. But it was neceffary to fit with down- 
call looks, and demure as maids. 
Soon after, the proceflion came in, as on the day before ; 
each two perfons bearing on their fhoulders a pole, round 
the middle of which, a cocoa-nut leaf was plaited. Thefe 
were depolited with ceremonies fimilar to thofe obferved 
on the preceding day. This firft proceflion was followed 
by a fecond; the men compofing which, brought bafkets, 
fuch as are ufually employed by this people to carry provi- 
fions in, and made of palm leaves. Thefe were followed by 
a third proceflion, in which were brought different kinds 
of fmall fifh; each fixed at the end of a forked flick. The 
bafkets were carried up to an old man, whom I took to be 
the Chief Priefl, and who fat on the prince’s right-hand, 
without the fired. He held each in his hand, while he made 
a flrort fpeech or prayer ; then laid it down, and called for 
another, repeating the fame words as before; jtlid thus he 
went through the whole number of bafkets. The fiflr were 
Y y 2 prelented, 
1 777 - 
J u i y- 
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