Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/461

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 396 diflferent subjects. During these twenty days also, if any one pass the fytoca, he must not proceed in his ordinary careless way, swinging his arms, but with a slow pace, his head bowed down, and his hands elapsed before him, if he have no burden ; and if he have, he must lower it, (from his shoulder for instance,) and carry it in his hands, or upon his bended arms : — but if he can conveniently do it, he will go a circuitous route, to avoid the grave. Here it may be ob* served, that, on all occasions, when a man with a burden passes a great chief, or the grave of a great chief, particularly if there be any one near to see him, he lowers his burden out of respect. Every day also, one or more approach, and sit before the grave for two or three hours, beating their faces with their fists ; sometimes they bruise their heads with clubs, in which case they stand up*. These are the uniform and essential circumstances which always take place during this part of the ceremony of burying chiefs,— we now come to speak of those which were peculiar to this particular instance. On the day after the deceased How was put attended by her women, cut the grass short before the grave with knives and sharp shells, sweeping away leaves and loose blades with brooms made of the mid rib of the cocoa-nut leaf : they also procured sweet-scented plants, principally the jidle, and planted them before the grave.
 * Finow's chief widow, Mooonga Tuobo, every morning,