ore observed, is applied to many other things. But as the
prince was evidently the principal person concerned in it, and as we had
been told by the king ten days before the celebration of the _Natche_,
that the people would bring in yams for him and his son to eat together,
and as he even described some part of the ceremony, we concluded, from
what he had then said, and from what we now saw, that an oath of
allegiance, if I may so express myself, or solemn promise, was on this
occasion made to the prince, as the immediate successor to the regal
dignity, to stand by him, and to furnish him with the several articles
that were here emblematically represented. This seems the more probable,
as all the principal people of the island, whom we had ever seen,
assisted in the processions. But, be this as it may, the whole was
conducted with a great deal of mysterious solemnity; and that there was
a mixture of religion in the institution was evident, not only from the
place where it was performed, but from the manner of performing it. Our
dress and deportment had never been called in question upon any former
occasion whatever. Now, it was expected that we should be uncovered as
low as the waist; that our hair should be loose, and flowing over our
shoulders; that we should, like themselves, sit cross-legged; and, at
times, in the most humble posture, with down-cast eyes, and hands locked
together; all which requisites were most devoutly observed by the whole
assembly. And, lastly, every one was excluded from the solemnity; but
the principal people, and those who assisted in the celebration. All
these circumstances were to me a sufficient testimony, that, upon this
occasion, they consider themselves as acting under the immediate
inspection of a Supreme Being;

The present _Natche_ may be considered, from the above account of it,
as merely figurative. For the small quantity of yams, which we saw the
first day, could not be intended as a general contribution; and, indeed,
we were given to understand, that they were a portion consecrated to the
_Otooa_, or Divinity. But we were informed, that, in about three months,
there would be performed, on the same account, a far more important and
grander solemnity; on which occasion, not only the tribute of
Tongataboo, but that of Hepaee, Vavaoo, and of all the other islands;
would be brought to the chief, and confirmed more awfully, by
sacrificing ten human victims from amongst the inferior sort