The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
As soon as we landed at Attahooroo, which was about two o’clock in the
afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered to
remain in the boat; and that Mr. Anderson, Mr. Webber, and myself, might
take off our hats, as soon as we should come to the _morai_, to which we
immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men and some boys; but
not one woman. We found four priests, and their attendants or
assistants, waiting for us. The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small
canoe that lay on the beach, and partly in the wash of the sea, fronting
the _morai_. Two of the priests, with some of their attendants, were
sitting by the canoe; the others at the _morai_. Our company stopped
about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself;
we, and a few others, standing by him; while the bulk of the people
remained at a greater distance.
The ceremonies now began. One of the priest’s attendants brought a young
plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached with a
small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the
cocoa-nut-husk, with which he touched one of the king’s feet, and then
retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at the
_morai_, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long prayer;
and, at certain times, sent down young plantain-trees, which were laid
upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by the
officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of cloth.
In one of them, as we afterwards found, was the royal _maro_; and the
other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the _Eatooa_.
As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the _morai_, with their
attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with
them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers; during which the
plantain-trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off the
sacrifice; which was partly wrapped up in cocoa leaves and small
branches. It was now taken out of the canoe, and laid upon the beach,
with the feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some
sitting and others standing; and one or more of them, repeated sentences
for about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the
leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the seashore.
One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long
prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the others; each holding in
his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair
was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out;
both of which were presented to Otoo, wrapped up in a green leaf. He did
not, however, touch it; but gave to the man who presented it the tuft of
feathers which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and eye,
was carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another
piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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