sand this being done, each of the men carried two upon a stick across the shoulder, one at each end-while the women only carried one, pressed, in general, against the left hip, or rather upon it, by the hand of the same side, and supported by the hand of the opposite side, brought backwards across the loins, which they consider the easiest mode for women to carry small burdens*; they then proceeded back the same way, and with the same ceremony, to the grave. By this time the grave above the vault was nearly filled with the earth lately dug out, the remaining small space being left to be filled up by the sand, which is always more than enough for this purpose, that the mount, of which the fytoca consists, may be strewed in like manner, it being considered a great embellishment to a grave to have it thus covered, and is thought to appear very well from a distance, where the clean sand may be seen on the outside of the fytoca; besides which, it is the custom, and nobody can explain the reason why, which is the case with several of their customs. This

This mode, which the women use, is called fafa; that which the men use, as just described, ámo; carrying in the hand by the side, taggi-taggi;—whilst the general term for any mode of carrying is food.

being done, the temporary house is taken to pieces, and thrown behind the fytoca in the hole, out of which the earth was originally dug to raise the mount on which the fytoca stands in this hole also are thrown all the baskets in which the sand was brought, as well as the remaining quantity of earth not used in filling up the grave. The ground within the fytoca is now covered with mats, similar to what are commonly used in the houses, and which are made of the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree. During the whole of this time the company was seated on the green before the fytoca, still clothed in mats, and their necks strung with the leaves of the ifi tree: after this they arose and went to their respective habitations, where they shaved their heads, and burnt their cheeks with a small lighted roll of tapat, by applying it once upon each cheek bone; after which, the place was rubbed with the astringent berry of the matchi, which oc casions it to bleed, and with the blood they smeared about the wound, in a circular form,

* Or rather the house upon the fytoca, for the latter is a term given merely to the mount and the grave within it, for they have several fytocas which have no houses on them.

+ Tápa differs from gnatoo merely by its not being stamped or imprinted with any pattern.

to about two inches in diameter, giving themselves a very unseemly appearance*: They repeat this friction with the berry every day, making the wound bleed afresh: and the men, in the mean time, neglect to shave, and to oil themselves during the day; they do, however, at night, for the comfort which this operation affords. After having, in the first place, burnt their cheeks and shaved their heads, they built for themselves small temporary huts, for their own accommodation during the time of mourn ing, which lasts twenty days. The women, who have become tabooed by touching the dead body, remain constantly in the fytoca, except when they want food, for which they retire to one or other of these temporary houses, to be fed as mentioned in the note, p. 150, but they sleep in the fytoca. The provisions with which these tabooed women and mourners in general are provided were sent, on this occasion, with bales of gnatoo, first to the young prince, by the different chiefs and matabooles; the prince then ordered the greater

*Those whose love for the deceased is very great, or who wish it to be thought so, instead of burning their cheeks in the way mentioned, rub off the cuticle by beating and rubbing their cheeks with platt wound round their hands, made of the husk of the cocoa-nut; and this is a most painful operation.

part of them to be sent to the tabooed women; and they were accordingly carried and placed on the ground, at some distance from the grave, or else laid down before the temporary house, to which the chief of the tabooed women retires to be fed; and she orders them to be distributed to the different chiefs and matabooles, who again share them out in the usual way. The fifth and tenth days of such a ceremony are, however, marked by a greater quantity of provision than ordinary being sent, for which they give no reason but that of custom. On the twentieth day there is also an unusually large quantity sent; and this is by way of finishing the funeral ceremony. With these provisions they also send every day a supply of tomes*, to light up the fytoca during the night these tomes are held by a woman, who, when fatigued with this office, is relieved by another: those who take the light into their charge are of the lower ranks. They, as well as the others, when not oppressed by sleep, in general spend their time in talking upon indifferent subjects. During these twenty days also, if any one passes the fytoca, he must not proceed in his ordinary careless way, swinging his arms, but with a slow pace, his head

*The tóme is a sort of torch.

bowed down, and his hands clasped before him, if he have no burden; and if he have, he must lower it, (from his shoulder for instance,) and carry it in his hands, or upon his bended arms—but if he can conveniently do it, he will go a circuitous route, to avoid the grave. Here it may be observed, that, on all occasions, when a man with a burden passes a great chief, or the grave of a great chief, particularly if there is any one near to see him, he lowers his burden out of respect. Every day also, one or more approach, and sit before the grave for two or three hours, beating their faces with their fists, or bruising their heads with clubs, in which latter case they stand up*. These are the uniform and essential circumstances which always take place during this part of the ceremony of burying chiefs,— we now come to speak of those which were peculiar to this particular instance.

On the day after the deceased How was put in the ground, the principal chiefs and matabooles requested the prince to intimate to

* Finow's chief widow, Mooónga Toobó, every morning, attended by her women, cut the grass short before the grave with knives and sharp shells, sweeping away leaves and loose blades with brooms made of the stem of the cocoa-nut leaf: they also procured sweet-scented plants, principally the jiále, and planted them before the grave.