Upononepointthereseemstobenoquestion：thatthefeastwassometimesfurnishedfromwithintheclan。Intimesofscarcity，allwhowerenotprotectedbytheirfamilyconnections-intheHighlandexpression，allthecommonsoftheclan-hadcausetotremble。Itwasvaintoresist，itwasuselesstoflee。Theywerebegirtuponallhandsbycannibals；andtheovenwasreadytosmokeforthemabroadinthecountryoftheirfoes，orathomeinthevalleyoftheirfathers。
Atacertaincorneroftheroadourscholar-guidestruckofftohisleftintothetwilightoftheforest。Wewerenowononeoftheancientnativeroads，plungedinahighvaultofwood，andclambering，itseemed，atrandomoverbouldersanddeadtrees；buttheladwoundinandoutandupanddownwithoutacheck，forthesepathsaretothenativesasmarkedastheking’shighwayistous；
insomuchthat，inthedaysoftheman-hunt，itwastheirlabourrathertoblockanddefacethantoimprovethem。Inthecryptofthewoodtheairwasclammyandhotandcold；overhead，upontheleaves，thetropicalrainuproariouslypoured，butonlyhereandthere，asthroughholesinaleakyroof，asingledropwouldfall，andmakeaspotuponmymackintosh。Presentlythehugetrunkofabanyanhoveinsight，standinguponwhatseemedtheruinsofanancientfort；andourguide，haltingandholdingforthhisarm，announcedthatwehadreachedthePAEPAETAPU。
PAEPAEsignifiesafloororplatformsuchasanativehouseisbuilton；andevensuchapaepae-apaepaehae-maybecalledapaepaetapuinalessersensewhenitisdesertedandbecomesthehauntofspirits；butthepublichighplace，suchasIwasnowtreading，wasathingonagreatscale。Asfarasmyeyescouldpiercethroughthedarkundergrowth，theflooroftheforestwasallpaved。Threetiersofterraceranontheslopeofthehill；infront，acrumblingparapetcontainedthemainarena；andthepavementofthatwaspiercedandparcelledoutwithseveralwellsandsmallenclosures。Notraceremainedofanysuperstructure，andtheschemeoftheamphitheatrewasdifficulttoseize。IvisitedanotherinHiva-oa，smallerbutmoreperfect，whereitwaseasytofollowrowsofbenches，andtodistinguishisolatedseatsofhonourforeminentpersons；andwhere，ontheupperplatform，asinglejoistofthetempleordead-housestillremained，itsuprightsrichlycarved。Intheolddaysthehighplacewassedulouslytended。Notreeexceptthesacredbanyanwassufferedtoencroachuponitsgrades，nodeadleaftorotuponthepavement。Thestonesweresmoothlyset，andIamtoldtheywerekeptbrightwithoil。
Onallsidestheguardianslayencampedintheirsubsidiaryhutstowatchandcleanseit。Nootherfootofmanwassufferedtodrawnear；onlythepriest，inthedaysofhisrunning，cametheretosleep-perhapstodreamofhisungodlyerrand；but，inthetimeofthefeast，theclantroopedtothehighplaceinabody，andeachhadhisappointedseat。Therewereplacesforthechiefs，thedrummers，thedancers，thewomen，andthepriests。Thedrums-