seemed to give them uneasiness, we left them and returned to Poulaho, who told us we might amuse ourselves by walking about, as nothing would be done for some time.  The fear of losing any part of the ceremony prevented our being long absent.  When we returned to the king, he desired me to order the boat’s crew not to stir from the boat; for, as every thing would very soon be taboo, if any of our people, or of their own, should be found walking about, they would be knocked down with clubs, nay mateed, that is, killed.  He also acquainted us, that we could not be present at the ceremony, but that we should be conducted to a place, where we might see every thing that passed.  Objections were made to our dress.  We were told, that, to qualify us to be present, it was necessary that we should be naked as low as the breast, with our hats off, and our hair untied.  Omai offered to conform to these requisites, and began to strip; other objections were then started; so that the exclusion was given to him equally with ourselves.

I did not much like this restriction, and, therefore, stole out to see what might now be going forward.  I found very few people stirring, except those dressed to attend the ceremony; some of whom had in their hands small poles about four feet long, and to the underpart of these were fastened two or three other sticks; not bigger than one’s finger, and about six inches in length.  These men were going toward the morai just mentioned.  I took the same road, and was several times stopped by them, all crying out taboo.  However, I went forward without much regarding them, till I came in sight of the morai, and of the people who were sitting before it.  I was now urged very strongly to go back, and, not knowing what might be the consequence of a refusal, I complied.  I had observed, that the people who carried the poles passed this morai, or what I may as well call temple; and guessing from this circumstance that something was transacting beyond it, which might be worth looking at, I had thoughts of advancing by making a round for this purpose; but I was so closely watched by three men, that I could not put my design in execution.  In order to shake these fellows off, I returned to the malaee, where I had left the king, and from thence made an elopement a second time; but I instantly met with the same three men, so that it seemed as if they had been ordered to watch my motions.  I paid no regard to what they said or did, till I came within sight of the king’s principal fiatooka or morai, which I have already described, before which a great number of men were sitting, being the same persons whom I had just before seen pass by the other morai, from which this was but a little distant.  Observing that I could watch the proceedings of this company from the king’s plantation, I repaired thither very much to the satisfaction of those who attended me.