Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/178

120 the end of his head-dress, or whow, so near the faces of the spectators as to make them start back, which was a joke that seldom failed to make everybody laugh, especially if it happened to one of us.

We had also an opportunity of seeing the inside of the Ewharre no Eatua, so often mentioned: there were three of them, much ornamented with jaw-bones, and very full of bundles wrapped up in their cloth; these the people opened after some persuasion, and in them we found complete skulls, with their lower jaw-bones in their proper places; perhaps these were the skulls of those of the victorious party who died in battle, and the jaw-bones fastened on the outside were those of the conquered, but for this conjecture I had no authority from the Indians, who seemed to avoid as much as possible any questions upon the subject.

3rd. Went along shore in the opposite direction to that we took yesterday, intending to spend most of our time in purchasing stock, which we have always found the people ready to part with at their houses, and selling cheaper than at the market. In the course of our walk we met a set of strolling dancers, called by the Indians heiva, who detained us two hours, and during all that time entertained us highly indeed. The party consisted of three drums, two women dancers and six men; these Tupia tells us go round the island, as we have seen the little heivas do at Otahite, but differ from those in that most of the members of the heiva here are important people, of which assertion we had in the case of one of the women an undoubted proof.

The women had on their heads a quantity of tamou, or plaited hair, which was rolled, and flowers of gardenia were stuck between the interstices, making a head-dress truly elegant. Their shoulders, arms, and breasts as low as their arms were bare, below this they were covered with black cloth, and under each shoulder was placed a bunch of black feathers much as our ladies' nosegays or bouquets. On their hips rested a quantity of cloth plaited very full, which reached almost up to their arms, and fell down below into long petticoats, reaching below their feet, which they managed