Thisholiestofspotswasdefendedfromprofanationbythestrictestedictsoftheall-pervading“taboo，“condemnedtoinstantdeaththesacrilegiousfemalewhoshouldenterortouchitssacredprecincts，orevensomuchaspresswithherfeetthegroundmadeholybytheshadowsthatitcast。
Accesswashadtotheenclosurethroughanemboweredentranceononeside，facinganumberoftoweringcocoa-nuttrees，plantedatintervalsalongalevelareaofahundredyards。Atthefartherextremityofthisspacewastobeseenabuildingofconsiderablesize，reservedforthehabitationofthepriestsandreligiousattendantsofthegrove。
Initsvicinitywasanotherremarkableedifice，builtasusualuponthesummitofapi-pi，andatleasttwohundredfeetinlength，thoughnotmorethantwentyinbreadth。Thewholefrontofthislatterstructurewascompletelyopen，andfromoneendtotheotherrananarrowverandah，fencedinontheedgeofthepi-piwithapicketofcanes。Itsinteriorpresentedtheappearanceofanimmenselounging-place，theentirefloorbeingstrewnwithsuccessivelayersofmats，lyingbetweenparalleltrunksofcocoa-nuttrees，selectedforthepurposefromthestraightestandmostsymmetricalthevaleafforded。
Tothisbuilding，denominatedinthelanguageofthenatives，the“Ti，“Mehevinowconductedus。Thusfarwehadbeenaccompaniedbyatroopofthenativesofbothsexes；butassoonasweapproacheditsvicinity，thefemalesgraduallyseparatedthemselvesfromthecrowd，andstandingaloof，permittedustopasson。Themercilessprohibitionsofthetabooextendedlikewisetothisedifice，andwereenforcedbythesamedreadfulpenaltythatsecuredthehoolahhoolahgroundfromtheimaginarypollutionofawoman’spresence。
Onenteringthehouse，Iwassurprisedtoseesixmusketsrangedagainstthebambooononeside，fromthebarrelsofwhichdependedasmanysmallcanvaspouches，partlyfilledwithpowder。Disposedaboutthesemuskets，likethecutlassesthatdecoratethebulkheadofaman-of-war’scabin，wereagreatvarietyofrudespearsandpaddles，javelins，andwar-clubs。Thisthen，saidItoToby，mustbethearmouryofthetribe。