he United States nowadays. The first, the highest, was the Avae
parai, painted leg. The Arioi of this class was tattooed solidly
from the knees down. The second, Otiore, had both arms tattooed;
the third, Harotea, both sides of the body; the fourth, Hua, marked
shoulders; the fifth, Atoro, a small stripe on the left side; the
sixth, Ohemara, a small circle around each ankle, and the seventh,
Poo, were uninked. They were the neophytes, and had to do the heavy
work of the order, though servants, not members, termed fauaunau,
were part of the corps. These were sworn not to have any offspring.

The Arioi kept the records of the Tahitian nation. In their plays
they reenacted all the chief events in the history of the race, and
as there was no written account, these dramas were, with the legends
and stories they recited, the perpetuation of their archives and
chronicles. They were apt in travesty and satire. They ridiculed
the priests and current events, and by their wit made half the
people love them and half fear them. A manager directed all their
performances. They aimed at perfect rhythm in their chants and dances,
and grace and often sheer fun in their pantomimes. Some were wrestlers,
but boxing they left for others. As with the Marquesans to-day, they
had a fugleman, or leader, in all songs, who introduced the subject
in a prologue, and occasionally gave the cue to a change.

No man could reach high rank with them except by histrionic ability
and a strict compliance with their rules. Exceptions to the first
requirement might be found in the great chiefs. A candidate came before
the lodge in gala fashion, painted, wreathed, and laughing. Leaping
into their circle, he joined madly in the rout, and thus made known his
desire for admittance. If worthy, he became a servant, and only after
proving by a long novitiate his qualities was he given the lowest
rank. Then he received the name by which he would be known in the
society. He swore to kill his children, if he had any, and crooking
his left arm, he struck it with his right hand, and repeated the oath:

"The mountain above, the sacred mountain; the floor beneath Tamapua,
projecting point of the sea; Manunu, of majestic forehead; Teariitarai,
the splendor in the sky; I am of the mountain huruhuru." He spoke
his Arioi name, and snatched the covering of the chief woman present.

Occasionally there might be persons or districts that felt themselves
unwilling or too poor to