A POPULAR GAME. 81 
than on the preceding evening, and again recom¬ 
mended the Son of God as all-sufficient to save. 
I afterwards saw a party at buhenehene . This is 
one of the most popular games in the Sandwich 
Islands, is the favourite amusement of the king, 
and higher order of chiefs, and frequently occupies 
them whole days together. It principally consists 
in hiding a small stone under one of five pieces ot 
native tapa, or cloth, so as to prevent the specta¬ 
tors from discovering under which piece it is hid. 
The parties at play sit cross-legged, on mats 
spread on the ground, each one holding in his 
right hand a small elastic rod, about three feet 
long, and highly polished. At the small end of 
this stick there is a narrow slit or hole, through 
which a piece of dog’s skin, with a tuft of shaggy 
hair on it, or a piece of ti leaf, is usually drawn 
Five pieces of tapa, of different colours, each 
loosely folded up like a bundle, are then placed 
between the two parties, which generally consists 
of five persons each. One person is then selected 
on each side, to hide the stone. He who is first to 
hide it, takes it in his right hand, lifts up the 
cloth at one end, puts his arm under as far as 
his elbow, and, passing it along several times, 
underneath the five pieces of cloth, which lie in 
a line contiguous to each other, he finally leaves 
it under one of them. The other party sit oppo¬ 
site, watching closely the action in the muscles 
of the upper part of his arm; and it is said, 
that adepts can discover the place where the 
stone is deposited, by observing the change that 
takes place in those muscles, when the hand 
ceases to grasp it. Having deposited the stone, 
the hider withdraws his arm; and, with many 
gestures, separates the contiguous pieces of clotn 
IV. g 
