arcels, composed of
cocoa-nut leaves, and tied to sticks made into the form of hand-barrows.
All the information I could get about them was, that they were _taboo_.
Our number kept continually increasing, every one coming from the same
quarter. From time to time, one or another of the company turned himself
to those who were coming to join us, and made a short speech, in which I
could remark that the word _arekee_, that is, king, was generally
mentioned. One man said something that produced bursts of hearty
laughter from all the crowd; others of the speakers met with public
applause. I was several times desired to leave the place, and, at last,
when they found that I would not stir, after some seeming consultation,
they applied to me to uncover my shoulders as theirs were. With this
request I complied, and then they seemed to be no longer uneasy at my
presence.

I sat a full hour, without any thing more going forward, beside what I
have mentioned. At length the prince, the women, and the king, all came
in, as they had done the day before. The prince being placed under the
shed, after his father's arrival, two men, each carrying a piece of mat,
came repeating something seriously, and put them about him. The
assembled people now began their operations; and first, three companies
ran backward and forward across the area, as described in the account of
the proceedings of the former day. Soon after, the two men, who sat in
the middle of the area, made a short speech or prayer, and then the
whole body, amongst whom I had my place, started up, and ran and seated
themselves before the shed under which the prince, and three or four
men, were sitting. I was now partly under the management of one of the
company, who seemed very assiduous to serve me. By his means, I was
placed in such a situation, that if I had been allowed to make use of my
eyes, nothing that passed could have escaped me. But it was necessary to
sit with down-cast looks, and demure as maids.

Soon after the procession came in, as on the day before; each two
persons bearing on their shoulders a pole, round the middle of which, a
cocoa-nut leaf was plaited. These were deposited with ceremonies similar
to those observed on the preceding day. This first procession was
followed by a second; the men composing which, brought baskets, such as
are usually employed by this people to carry provisions in, and made of
palm leaves. These were followed, by a third procession,