and laid in a parallel direction with the sea-shore.  One of the priests then standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was at times joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers.  In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out, both which were presented to Otoo, wrapped up in a green leaf.  He did not however touch it, but gave to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers which he had received from Towha.  This, with the hair and eye, was carried back to the priests.  Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket.  During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me, saying, “That is the Eatooa” and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.

The body was then carried a little way, with its head towards the morai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved.  The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the morai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased.  He who seemed to be the chief priest sat at a small distance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures, so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom he constantly addressed himself; and sometimes asked several questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been killed.  At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage him to comply with such requests.  Amongst which, we understood, he asked him to deliver Eimeo, Maheine its chief, the hogs, women, and other things of the island, into their hands; which was, indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice.  He then chanted a prayer, which lasted near half an hour, in a whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priests; and in which Potatou and some others joined.  In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles.  After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha.  When he had finished, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner.  Then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.