“From this place, the people went to a large hut, close by the morai, where they seated themselves in much greater order than is usual among them.  A man of Tiaraboo then made an oration, which lasted about ten minutes.  He was followed by an Attahooroo man; afterward Potatou spoke with much greater fluency and grace than any of them; for, in general, they spoke in short broken sentences, with a motion of the hand that was rather awkward.  Tooteo, Otoo’s orator, spoke next; and, after him, a man from Eimeo.  Two or three more speeches were made; but not much attended to.  Omai told me, that the speeches declared, that they should not fight, but all be friends.  As many of the speakers expressed themselves with warmth, possibly there were some recriminations and protestations of their good intentions.  In the midst of their speaking, a man of Attahooroo got up, with a sling fastened to his waist, and a large stone placed upon his shoulder.  After parading near a quarter of an hour, in the open space, repeating something in a singing tone, he threw the stone down.  This stone, and a plantain-tree that lay at Otoo’s feet, were, after the speeches ended, carried to the morai:  and one of the priests, and Otoo with him, said something upon the occasion.

“On our return to Oparre, the sea-breeze having set in, we were obliged to land; and had a pleasant walk through almost the whole extent of Tettaha to Oparre.  A tree, with two bundles of dried leaves suspended upon it, marked the boundary of the two districts.  The man who had performed the ceremony of the stone and sling came with us.  With him, Otoo’s father had a long conversation.  He seemed very angry.  I understood, he was enraged at the part Towha had taken in the Eimeo business.”

From what I can judge of this solemnity, as thus described by Mr King, it had not been wholly a thanksgiving, as Omai told us, but rather a confirmation of the treaty, or perhaps both.  The grave, which Mr King speaks of, seems to be the very spot where the celebration of the rites began, when the human sacrifice, at which I was present, was offered, and before which the victim was laid, after being removed from the sea side.  It is at this part of the morai also that they first invest their kings with the maro.  Omai, who had been present when Otoo was made king, described to me the whole ceremony, when we were here; and I find it to be almost the same as this that Mr King has now described, though we understood it to be upon a very different occasion.  The plantain-tree, so often mentioned, is always the first thing introduced, not only in all their religious ceremonies, but in all their debates, whether of a public or private nature.  It is also used on other occasions; perhaps many more than we know of.  While Towha was at Eimeo, one or more messengers came from him to Otoo every day.  The messenger always came with a young plantain-tree in his hand, which he laid down at Otoo’s feet, before he spoke a word; then seated himself before him, and related what he was charged with.  I have seen two men in such high dispute that I expected they would proceed to blows; yet, on one laying a plantain-tree before the other, they have both become cool, and carried on the argument without farther animosity.  In short, it is, upon all occasions, the olive-branch of these people.