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better Idea of it than to suppose a man dress with Plumes of feathers something in the same manner as those worn by Coaches hearses, horses &Ca at the funerals in London it was very neatly made ^ up of black ^ or brown and white cloth black and white feathers and pearl oysteres shells, it coverd the head face and body as low as the Calf of the leg or lower and not only looked grand but awfull likewise The man thus equip'd and attended by two or three more men or women with their faces and bodies besmeared with ^ soot and a club in their hands would about sunset take a compass of near a mile runing here and there, and where ever they came the people would fly from them as tho they had been so many hobgoblins not one daring to come in their way - I know not the reason for their performing this ceremony which they call Heiva a name they give to most of their divertisements. —
They compute time by the moon which they call Malama reckoning 30 days to each Moon, 2 of which they say the moon is Matte that is dead and this is at the time of new-mo[o]n when she cannot be seen, the day they divide into smaller portions not less than two hours — Their computations is by units, tens and scores up to ten score or 200 &Ca In counting they generaly take hold of their fingers one by one shifting from the one hand to the other untill they come to the number they want to express, but if it be a high number instead of their fingers they use peices, leaves &Ca —
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 89, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-031