This was not allowed by the natives, who wished to take charge of it according to their own notions, which was to wind the body closely with the fine or inner bark of the Tappa, a tree much resembling the paper mulberry, this to be wound ten or fifteen times around. The body was then taken to a small uninhabited hut[122] and placed upon a bench, or table, made by driving sticks of bamboo into the ground, across the top of which others are fastened, and interlaid, thus forming a table about two feet high. On this the body was placed, where it was to remain until it should moulder and crumble away. The bodies of friends are many times thus wound, and hung by a loop worked ingeniously in the covering on the top of the head, to the ridge of the house in which they live, where it remains a considerable time, when it is taken down, divested of its covering, and placed in the sun, when the outer surface, or skin, parches, and is easily rubbed off, which is done with the hand. The entrails are then removed, the body cleanly washed out, and again wound as before, and hung in its former place, where it remains until it literally falls in pieces. I have in one or two instances seen several hanging in one house, completely filling the house in and around, with the most offensive odor, yet they live unmindful of it. The bodies of kings and those of the royal family are placed, after being wound as before described, in a hut erected on purpose, on or near the tabu ground, in a sitting posture, with the arms raised, the elbow bent to an angle, and supported by sticks of bamboo, driven in the earth. On either side is a man placed, who are taken in war, or stolen from some neighboring tribe, and sacrificed for the purpose, also wound in bark. These are supposed to accompany them in the capacity of servants. At the expiration of three weeks we returned to our own tribe where we were most cordially received. [123] On our arrival we were separated from each other, and not allowed to meet but very seldom. If by chance however we stole together, we were instantly torn apart. Being thus obliged to converse in their language, if at all, enabled us, at the expiration of some three or four months, to speak it tolerably well. This deprivation, change of diet, and the probability of our being forever doomed to dwell among them, tended much to impair our health. Our principal occupation was to gather the bread fruit, prepare and roast it. [124] CHAPTER VIII.