the front of the house.  Presently came three elderly men, who seated themselves between us and it, and began a speech, which I understood to be a prayer, it being wholly directed to the house.  This lasted about ten minutes; and then the priests, for such I took them to be, came and sat down along with us, when we made them presents of such things as were about us.  Having then made signs to them that we wanted to view the premises, my friend Attago immediately got up, and going with us, without showing the least backwardness, gave us full liberty to examine every part of it.

In the front were two stone steps leading to the top of the wall; from this the ascent to the house was easy, round which was a fine gravel walk.  The house was built, in all respects, like to their common dwelling-houses; that is, with posts and rafters, and covered with palm thatch.  The eaves came down within about three feet of the ground, which space was filled up with strong matting made of palm leaves, as a wall.  The floor of the house was laid with fine gravel; except, in the middle, where there was an oblong square of blue pebbles, raised about six inches higher than the floor.  At one corner of the house stood an image rudely carved in wood, and on one side lay another; each about two feet in length.  I, who had no intention to offend either them or their gods, did not so much as touch them, but asked Attago, as well as I could, if they were Eatuas, or gods.  Whether he understood me or no, I cannot say; but he immediately turned them over and over, in as rough a manner as he would have done any other log of wood, which convinced me that they were not there as representatives of the Divinity.  I was curious to know if the dead were interred there, and asked Attago several questions relative thereto; but I was not sure that he understood me, at least I did not understand the answers he made well enough to satisfy my enquiries.  For the reader must know, that at our first coming among these people, we hardly could understand a word they said.  Even my Otaheitean youth, and the man on board the Adventure, were equally at a loss; but more of this by and by.  Before we quitted the house we thought it necessary to make an offering at the altar.  Accordingly we laid down upon the blue pebbles, some medals, nails, and several other things, which we had no sooner done than my friend Attago took them up, and put them in his pocket.  The stones with which the walls were made that inclosed this mount, were some of them nine or ten feet by four, and about six inches thick.  It is difficult to conceive how they can cut such stones out of the coral rocks.

This mount stood in a kind of grove open only on the side which fronted the high road, and the green on which the people were seated.  At this green or open place, was a junction of five roads, two or three of which appeared to be very public ones.  The groves were composed of several sorts of trees.  Among others was the Etoa tree, as it is called at Otaheite, of which are made clubs, &c. and a kind of low palm, which is very common in the northern parts of New Holland.