Anothermoststrikingfeatureoftheperformancewasexhibitedbyascoreofoldmenwhosatcross-leggedinthelittlepulpits，whichencircledthetrunksoftheimmensetreesgrowinginthemiddleoftheenclosure。Thesevenerablegentlemen，whoIpresumewerethepriests，keptupanuninterruptedmonotonouschant，whichwasnearlydrownedintheroarofdrums。Intherighthandtheyheldafinely-wovengrassfan，withaheavyblackwoodenhandle，curiouslychased:thesefanstheykeptincontinualmotion。
Butnoattentionwhateverseemedtobepaidtothedrummersortotheoldpriests，theindividualswhocomposedthevastcrowdpresentbeingentirelytakenupinchattingandlaughingwithoneanother，smoking，drinkingarva，andeating。Foralltheobservationitattracted，orthegooditachieved，thewholesavageorchestramight，withgreatadvantagetoitsownmembersandthecompanyingeneral，haveceasedtheprodigiousuproartheyweremaking。
InvainIquestionedKory-Koryandothersofthenatives，astothemeaningofthestrangethingsthatweregoingon；alltheirexplanationswereconveyedinsuchamassofoutlandishgibberishandgesticulationthatIgaveuptheattemptindespair。Allthatdaythedrumsresounded，thepriestschanted，andthemultitudefeastedandroaredtillsunset，whenthethrongdispersed，andtheTabooGroveswereagainabandonedtoquietandrepose。Thenextdaythesamescenewasrepeateduntilnight，whenthissingularfestivalterminated。
ALTHOUGHIhadbeenbaffledinmyattemptstolearntheoriginoftheFeastofCalabashes，yetitseemedveryplaintomethatitwasprincipally，ifnotwholly，ofareligiouscharacter。
Yet，notwithstandingallIobservedonthisoccasion，Iamfreetoconfessmyalmostentireinabilitytogratifyanycuriositythatmaybefeltwithregardtothetheologyofthevalley。Idoubtwhethertheinhabitantsthemselvescoulddoso。Theyareeithertoolazyortoosensibletoworrythemselvesaboutabstractpointsofreligiousbelief。WhileIwasamongthem，theyneverheldanysynodsorcouncilstosettletheprinciplesoftheirfaithbyagitatingthem。Anunboundedlibertyofconscienceseemedtoprevail。Thosewhopleasedtodosowereallowedtoreposeimplicitfaithinanill-favouredgod，withalargebottle-nose，andfatshapelessarmscrosseduponhisbreast；whilstothersworshippedanimagewhich，havingnolikenesseitherinheavenoronearth，couldhardlybecalledanidol。Astheislandersalwaysmaintainedadiscreetreservewithregardtomyownpeculiarviewsonreligion，Ithoughtitwouldbeexcessivelyill-bredinmetopryintotheirs。
But，althoughmyknowledgeofthereligiousfaithoftheTypeeswasunavoidablylimited，oneoftheirsuperstitiousobservanceswithwhichIbecameacquaintedinterestedmegreatly。
Inoneofthemostsecludedportionsofthevalley，withinastone’scastofFayaway’slake-forsoIchristenedthesceneofourislandyachting-andhardbyagrowthofpalms，whichstoodrangedinorderalongbothbanksofthestream，wavingtheirgreenarmsasiftodohonourtoitspassage，wasthemausoleumofadeceasedwarrior-chief。Likealltheotheredificesofanynote，itwasraiseduponasmallpi-piofstones，which，beingofunusualheight，wasaconspicuousobjectfromadistance。Alightthatchingofbleachedpalmetto-leaveshungoveritlikeaself-supportedcanopy；
foritwasnotuntilyoucameverynearthatyousawitwassupportedbyfourslendercolumnsofbamboo，risingateachcornertoalittlemorethantheheightofaman。Aclearareaofafewyardssurroundedthepi-pi，andwasenclosedbyfourtrunksofcocoa-nuttrees，restingattheanglesonmassiveblocksofstone。Theplacewassacred。ThesignoftheinscrutableTaboowasseen，intheshapeofamysticrollofwhitetappa，suspendedbyatwistedcordofthesamematerialfromthetopofaslightpoleplantedwithintheenclosure。*Thesanctityofthespotappearednevertohavebeenviolated。Thestillnessofthegravewasthere，andthecalmsolitudearoundwasbeautifulandtouching。Thesoftshadowsofthoseloftypalmtrees-Icanseethemnow-hangingoverthelittletemple，asiftokeepouttheintrusivesun。
*WhiteappearstobethesacredcolouramongtheMarquesans。
Onallsides，asyouapproachedthissilentspot，youcaughtsightofthedeadchief’seffigy，seatedinthesternofacanoe，whichwasraisedonalightframeafewinchesabovethelevelofthepi-pi。
Thecanoewasaboutsevenfeetinlength；ofarich，dark-colouredwood，handsomelycarved，andadornedinmanyplaceswithvariegatedbindingsofstainedsinnate，intowhichwereingeniouslywroughtanumberofsparklingsea-shells，andabeltofthesameshellsranallroundit。Thebodyofthefigure-ofwhatevermaterialitmighthavebeenmade-waseffectuallyconcealedinaheavyrobeofbrowntappa，revealingonlythehandsandhead；thelatterskilfullycarvedinwood，andsurmountedbyasuperbarchofplumes。Theseplumes，inthesubduedandgentlegaleswhichfoundaccesstothissequesteredspot，wereneverforonemomentatrest，butkeptnoddingandwavingoverthechief’sbrow。Thelongleavesofthepalmettodroppedovertheeaves，andthroughthemyousawthewarrior，holdinghispaddlewithbothhandsintheactofrowing，leaningforwardandinclininghishead，asifeagertohurryonhisvoyage。
Glaringathimforever，andfacetoface，wasapolishedhumanskull，whichcrownedtheprowofthecanoe。Thespectralfigurehead，reversedinitsposition，glancingbackwards，seemedtomocktheimpatientattitudeofthewarrior。
WhenIfirstvisitedthissingularplacewithKory-Kory，hetoldme-or，atleast，Isounderstoodhim-thatthechiefwaspaddlinghiswaytotherealmsofblissandbread-fruit-thePolynesianheaven-
whereeverymomentthebread-fruittreesdroppedtheirripenedspherestotheground，andwheretherewasnoendtothecocoa-nutsandbananas；theretheyreposedthroughthelive-longeternityuponmatsmuchfinerthanthoseofTypee；andeverydaybathedtheirglowinglimbsinriversofcocoa-nutoil。Inthathappylandtherewereplentyofplumesandfeathers，andboars’-tusksandsperm-whaleteeth，farpreferabletoalltheshiningtrinketsandgaytappaofthewhitemen；
and，bestofall，women，farlovelierthanthedaughtersofearthwerethereinabundance。“Averypleasantplace，“Kory-Korysaiditwas；
“but，afterall，notmuchpleasanter，hethought，thanTypee。““Didhenot，then，“Iaskedhim，wishtoaccompanythewarrior？““Oh，no；hewasveryhappywherehewas；butsupposedthatsometimeorotherhewouldgoinhisowncanoe。“
Thusfar，Ithink，IclearlycomprehendedKory-Kory。Buttherewasasingularexpressionhemadeuseofatthetime，enforcedbyassingularagesture，themeaningofwhichIwouldhavegivenmuchtopenetrate。Iaminclinedtobelieveitmusthavebeenaproverbheuttered；forIafterwardsheardhimrepeatthesamewordsseveraltimes，andinwhatappearedtometobeasomewhatsimilarsense。
Indeed，Kory-Koryhadagreatvarietyofshort，smart-soundingsentences，withwhichhefrequentlyenlivenedhisdiscourse；andheintroducedthemwithanairwhichplainlyintimated，that，inhisopinion，theysettledthematterinquestion，whateveritmightbe。
Couldithavebeen，then，thatwhenIaskedhimwhetherhedesiredtogotothisheavenofbread-fruit，cocoa-nuts，andyoungladies，whichhehadbeendescribing，heansweredbysayingsomethingequivalenttoouroldadage“Abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush！“-ifhedid，Kory-Korywasadiscreetandsensiblefellow，andI
cannotsufficientlyadmirehisshrewdness。
Whenever，inthecourseofmyramblesthroughthevalley，I
happenedtobenearthechief’smausoleum，Ialwaysturnedasidetovisitit。Theplacehadapeculiarcharmforme；Ihardlyknowwhy，butsoitwas。AsIleanedovertherailingandgazeduponthestrangeeffigy，andwatchedtheplayofthefeatheryhead-dress，stirredbythesamebreezewhichinlowtonesbreathedamidsttheloftypalmtrees，Ilovedtoyieldmyselfuptothefancifulsuperstitionoftheislanders，andcouldalmostbelievethatthegrimwarriorwasboundheavenward。Inthismood，whenIturnedtodepart，Ibadehim，“Godspeed，andapleasantvoyage。“Ay，paddleaway，bravechieftain，tothelandofspirits！Tothematerialeyethoumakestbutlittleprogress；but，withtheeyeoffaith，Iseethycanoecleavingthebrightwaves，whichdieawayonthosedimlyloomingshoresofParadise。
Thisstrangesuperstitionaffordsanotherevidenceofthefact，thathoweverignorantmanmaybe，hestillfeelswithinhimhisimmortalspirityearningaftertheunknownfuture。
Althoughthereligioustheoriesoftheislandswereacompletemysterytome，theirpracticalevery-dayoperationcouldnotbeconcealed。IfrequentlypassedthelittletemplesreposingintheshadowsoftheTabooGroves，andbeheldtheofferings-mouldyfruitspreadoutuponarudealtar，orhanginginhalf-decayedbasketsaroundsomeuncouth，jolly-lookingimages。Iwaspresentduringthecontinuanceofthefestival。IdailybeheldthegrinningidolsmarshalledrankandfileintheHoolahHoolahground，andwasofteninthehabitofmeetingthosewhomIsupposedtobethepriests。Butthetemplesseemedtobeabandonedtosolitude；thefestivalhadbeennothingmorethanajovialminglingofthetribe；theidolswerequiteasharmlessasanyotherlogsofwood；andthepriestswerethemerriestdogsinthevalley。
Infact，religiousaffairsinTypeewereataverylowebb。Allsuchmatterssatverylightlyuponthethoughtlessinhabitants；and，inthecelebrationofmanyoftheirstrangerites，theyappearedmerelytoseekasortofchildishamusement。
Acuriousevidenceofthiswasgiveninaremarkableceremony，inwhichIfrequentlysawMeheviandseveralotherchiefsandwarriorsofnotetakepart；butneverasinglefemale。
AmongthosewhomIlookeduponasformingthepriesthoodofthevalley，therewasoneinparticularwhooftenattractedmynotice，andwhomIcouldnothelpregardingastheheadoftheorder。Hewasanoble-lookingman，intheprimeofhislife，andofamostbenignantaspect。Theauthoritythisman，whosenamewasKolory，seemedtoexerciseovertherest，theepiscopalparthetookintheFeastofCalabashes，hissleekandcomplacentappearance，themysticcharacterswhichweretattooeduponhischest，and，aboveall，themitrehefrequentlywore，intheshapeofatoweringhead-dress，consistingofpartofacocoa-nutbranch，thestalkplanteduprightlyonhisbrow，andtheleafletsgatheredtogetherandpassedroundthetemplesandbehindtheears，allthesepointedhimoutasLordPrimateofTypee。KolorywasasortofKnightTemplar-asoldier-priest；forheoftenworethedressofaMarquesanwarrior，andalwayscarriedalongspear，which，insteadofterminatinginapaddleatthelowerend，afterthegeneralfashionoftheseweapons，wascurvedintoaheathenish-lookinglittleimage。Thisinstrument，however，mightperhapshavebeenemblematicofhisdoublefunctions。Withoneend，incarnalcombathetransfixedtheenemiesofhistribe；andwiththeother，asapastoralcrook，hekeptinorderhisspiritualflock。
