Before I proceed to relate the adoration that was paid to Captain Cook, and the peculiar ceremonies with which he was received on this fatal island, it will be necessary to describe the morai, situated, as I have already mentioned, at the south side of the beach at Kakooa.  It was a square solid pile of stones, about forty yards long, twenty broad, and fourteen in height.  The top was flat, and well paved, and surrounded by a wooden rail, on which were fixed the sculls of the captives, sacrificed on the death of their chiefs.  In the centre of the area, stood a ruinous old building of wood, connected with a rail, on each side, by a stone wall, which divided the whole space into two parts.  On the side next the country were five poles, upward of twenty feet high, supporting an irregular kind of scaffold; on the opposite side, toward the sea, stood two small houses, with a covered communication.

We were conducted by Koah to the top of this pile by an easy ascent, leading from the beach to the N.W. corner of the area.  At the entrance, we saw two large wooden images, with features violently distorted, and a long piece of carved wood, of a conical form inverted, rising from the top of their heads, the rest was without form, and wrapped round with red cloth.  We were here met by a tall young man, with a long beard, who presented Captain Cook to the images, and after chanting a kind of hymn, in which he was joined by Koah, they led us to that end of the morai where the five poles were fixed.  At the foot of them were twelve images ranged in a semicircular form, and before the middle figure stood a high stand or table, exactly resembling the whatta[4] of Otaheite, on which lay a putrid hog, and under it pieces of sugar-cane, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, plantains, and sweet potatoes.  Koah having placed the captain under this stand, took down the hog, and held it toward him; and after having a second time addressed him in a long speech, pronounced with much vehemence and rapidity, he let it fall on the ground, and led him to the scaffolding, which they began to climb together, not without great risk of falling.  At this time we saw, coming in solemn procession, at the entrance of the top of the morai, ten men carrying a live hog, and a large piece of red cloth.  Being advanced a few paces, they stopped, and prostrated themselves; and Kaireekeea, the young man above-mentioned, went to them and received the cloth, carried it to Koah, who wrapped it round the captain, and afterward offered him the hog, which was brought by Kaireekeea with the same ceremony.

[Footnote 4:  See Captain Cook’s former voyage.]