not see what he was doing; but afterwards learned, that at this moment he was admitted to the high honour of eating with his father, a piece of roasted yam being presented to each of them for this purpose. A little time after, the company faced about, and formed a circle in front of the prince; several champions entered the area, wrestling and boxing matches were kept up for about half an hour; two men, sitting before the prince, then delivered addresses, with which the solemnity ended, and the assembly broke up.
The fiatookas where these ceremonies were performed, had both been previously examined, by the Captain and Mr. Anderson. At one of them were two rude wooden busts, said to be memorials of departed chiefs. Near them were numbers of etoa trees, to some of which clung many large ternate bats one of this kind measured nearly three feet, when the wings were extended. Some mourning ceremonies, performed at the fiatookas, by Poulaho and others, on account of relations some time dead, were witnessed. Each mourner put a piece of old mat over his dress, and a small green bough about his neck; and having thrown this down, seated himself before the house, and gave his cheeks a few gentle strokes with the fist. When the death is recent, the blows are often given with such violence as to make the blood flow: hence several persons were seen with scars below their eyes. Poulaho's mourning ended with drinking a bowl of kava.
Had our navigators remained a day longer at Tongataboo, they might have witnessed a funeral ceremony; as the wife of Mareewagee died before the natche, and was to be interred on the day after.
