his was not to be doubted, for they described the altar, and every
other constituent part of such a place of worship. However, as they
mentioned, at the same time, that two men who had the care of it,
would not suffer them to go in, I thought that they might be mistaken,
and had the curiosity to pay a visit to it myself. The supposed
chapel proved to be a _toopapaoo_, in which the remains of the late
Waheiadooa lay, as it were, in state. It was in a pretty large
house, which was inclosed with a low pallisade. The _toopapaoo_ was
uncommonly neat, and resembled one of those little houses or awnings
belonging to their large canoes. Perhaps it had originally been
employed for that purpose. It was covered and hung round with cloth
and mats of different colours, so as to have a pretty effect. There
was one piece of scarlet broad-cloth, four or five yards in length,
conspicuous among the other ornaments, which, no doubt, had been a
present from the Spaniards. This cloth, and a few tassels of feathers,
which our gentlemen supposed to be silk, suggested to them the idea
of a chapel, for, whatever else was wanting to create a resemblance,
their imagination supplied; and, if they had not previously known that
there had been Spaniards lately here, they could not possibly have
made the mistake. Small offerings of fruit and roots seemed to be
daily made at this shrine, as some pieces were quite fresh. These
were deposited upon a _whatta_, or altar, which stood without the
pallisades; and within these we were not permitted to enter. Two men
constantly attended night and day, not only to watch over the place,
but also to dress and undress the _toopapaoo_. For when I first went
to survey it, the cloth and its appendages were all rolled up; but,
at my request, the two attendants hung it out in order, first dressing
themselves in clean white robes. They told me that the chief had been
dead twenty months.
Having taken in a fresh supply of water, and finished all our other
necessary operations, on the 22d, I brought off the cattle and sheep
which had been put on shore here to graze, and made ready for sea.
In the morning of the 23d, while the ships were unmooring, Omai and I
landed to take leave of the young chief. While we were with him,
one of those enthusiastic persons whom they call _Eatooas_, from a
persuasion that they are possessed with the spirit of the divinity,
came and stood before us. He had all the appearance of a man not in
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