34 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. 
September. 
the feet of the facrifice ; round which the priefls took their 
flations; and we were now allowed to go as near as we 
pleafed. He who feemed to be the chief pried; fat at a 
final diftance, and fpoke for a quarter of an hour, but 
with different tones and geflures; fo that he feemed often 
to expoftulate with the dead perfon, to whom he conflantly 
addreffed himfelf; and, fometimes, afked feveral queflions, 
feemingly with refpedt to the propriety of his having been 
killed. At other times, he made feveral demands, as if the 
decealed either now had power himfelf, or intereft with 
the Divinity, to engage him to comply with fuch requefts. 
Amongfl which, we underflood, he afked him to deliver 
Eimeo, Maheine its chief, the hogs, women, and other 
things of the ifland, into their hands ; which was, indeed, 
the exprefs intention of the facrifice. He then chanted a 
prayer, which lafled near half an hour, in a whining, me¬ 
lancholy tone, accompanied by two other priefls; and in 
which Potatou, and fome others, joined. In the courfe of 
this prayer, fome more hair was plucked by a priefl from 
the head of the corpfe, and put upon one of the bundles. 
After this, the chief priefl prayed alone, holding in his 
hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he 
had finifhed, he gave them to another, who prayed in 
like manner. Then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon 
the bundles of cloth; which clofed the ceremony at this 
place. 
The corpfe was then carried up to the mofl confpicuous 
part of the moral , with the feathers, the two bundles of 
cloth, and the drums; the lafl of which beat flowly. The 
feathers and bundles were laid againfl the pile of Hones, 
and the corpfe at the foot of them. The priefls having again 
feated themfelves round it, renewed their prayers; while 
fome 
