Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/334

268 268 TRANSACTIONS AT and the men proceed till they arrive at the place appointed for them to stop at. If in their way they come to any cross roads, they stick a reed in the ground in the middle of such cross roads, as a taboo or mark of prohibition for any one to come down that way, and disturb the rats while the chiefs are shooting : and this no one will do ; for even if a considerable chief be passing that way, on seeing the taboo he will stop at a distance, and sit down on the ground, out of respect or politeness to his fellow chiefs, and wait patiently till the shooting party has gone by : a petty chief, or one of the lower or- ders, would not dare to infringe upon this t&boo at the risk of his life. The distributors of the bait being arrived at the place appointed for them to stop at, sit down to prepare cava, hav- ing previously given the orders of their chiefs to the owners of the neighbouring plantations to send a supply of refreshments, such as pork, yams, fowls, and ripe plantains. The company of chiefs having divided them- selves into two parties, set out about ten mi- nutes after the boohi, (or company that distri- butes the bait) and follow one another closely in a row along the middle of the road, armed with bows and arrows. It must be noticed, however, that the two parties are mixed ; the greatest chief, in general, proceeding first, be-