OUTRAGES AT MOURNINGS. 177 
than one or two old men thus disfigured, the cus¬ 
tom appears to have been discontinued. 
Another badge of mourning, assumed principally 
by the chiefs, is that of tatauing a black spot or 
line on the tongue, in the same manner as other 
parts of their bodies are tataued. 
All these usages, though singular, are innocent, 
compared with others, which, until very recently, 
were practised on every similar event. As soon 
as the chief had expired, the whole neighbourhood 
exhibited a scene of confusion, wickedness, and 
cruelty, seldom witnessed even in the most bar¬ 
barous society. The people ran to and fro without 
their clothes, appearing and acting more like 
demons than human beings; every vice was prac¬ 
tised, and almost every species of crime perpe¬ 
trated. Houses were burnt, property plundered, 
even murder sometimes committed, and the gra¬ 
tification of every base and savage feeling sought 
without restraint. Injuries or accidents, long for¬ 
gotten perhaps by the offending party, were now 
revenged with unrelenting cruelty. Hence many 
of the people of Maui, dreading their recurrence, 
when Keopuolani was thought to be near her end, 
took their effects into the enclosure'belonging to 
the Missionaries there, and requested permission 
to remain there, hoping to find a sanctuary within 
their premises amidst the general devastation 
which they expected would follow her decease. 
The inhabitants of several groups in the Pacific 
have mourning ceremonies somewhat resembling 
these. The Friendly Islanders cut off a joint of 
one of their fingers at the death of a chief, and, 
like the Society Islanders, cut their temples, face, 
and bosoms, with shark’s teeth. The latter also, 
during their otohaa , or mourning, commit almost as 
IV. N 
