Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/460

394 394 TRANSACTIONS AT the fytoca. The 'provisions with which these tabooed women and mourners in general are pro- vided were sent, on this occasion, with bales of gnatoo, first to the young prince, by the differ- ent chiefs and matabooles ; the prince then or- dered the greater part of them to be sent to the tabooed women : and they were accordingly carried and placed on the ground, at some dis- tance 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 theft/ toca 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 in*
 * The tome is a sort of torch.