Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/156

98 some neighbouring place, where the trees are not yet exhausted.

10th. This evening, according to my yesterday's engagement, I went to the place where the Metua lay; there I found Tubourai, Tamio, Hoona, the Metua's daughter, and a young Indian prepared to receive me. Tubourai was the Heiva, the three others and myself were to be Nineveh. Tubourai put on his most fantastical though not unbecoming dress. I was next prepared by stripping off my European clothes and putting on a small strip of cloth round my waist, the only garment I was allowed to have. They then began to smut me and themselves with charcoal and water, the Indian boy was completely black, the women and myself as low as our shoulders; we then set out. Tubourai began by praying twice, once near the corpse, and again near his own house. We then proceeded towards the fort; it was necessary, it seems, that the procession should visit that place, but they dare not do it without our sanction, indeed it was not until they had received many assurances of our consent that they ventured to perform any part of their ceremonies.

To the fort then we went, to the surprise of our friends and affright of the Indians who were there, for they everywhere fly before the Heiva, like sheep before a wolf; we soon left it and proceeded along shore towards a place where above a hundred Indians were collected together. We, the Ninevahs, had orders from the Heiva to disperse them; we ran towards them, but before we came within a hundred yards of them they dispersed every way, running to the first shelter and hiding themselves under grass or whatever else would conceal them. We now crossed the river into the woods and passed several houses, all deserted; not another Indian did we see during the half-hour that we spent in walking about. We (the Ninevehs) then came to the Heiva and said imatata (there are no people), after which we repaired home; the Heiva undressed, and we went into the river and scrubbed one another until it was dark, before the blacking came off.