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Easter Island: Early Witnesses

William Thomson


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stood projects beyond the line of the platform, and was higher. In the rear, and extending the entire length of the pile, is a broad terrace, neatly paved with smooth round bowlders. The fragments of three images lie upon the terrace.
   Platform No. 49.-Called "Oneonepuhea". Central section is about 45 feet long by 6 feet high. This is a crescent-shaped structure and the only one of the kind that we saw on the island. It is situated on the extreme edge of the cliff, which at this point has a straight-away fall of over 500 feet to the sea, which dashes against its wall-like base. There is no image in sight, but a large pedestal stone,inclined at a sharp angle towards the sea, shows where one has stood and suggests what became of it.
   Platform No. 50.-Called "Ahutakaure". Located on Poike cliff, facing westward; is small and unimportant and in a state of complete ruin. On the east slope of the mountain we found an image, the head of which had been broken off, but it lies near by. There is no platform here and no indications that one was intended to be built in the vicinity; so we concluded that the statue was being moved to some distant locality when it was broken and abandoned.
   Platform No. 51.-Called "Hangaiti"; 30 feet long and 8 feet wide and 5 feet high. In a bad condition and one small image broken.
   Platform No. 52.-Called "Tongariki"; 150 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 8 feet high (Plates XXX-XXXIV). Extreme length, including original wings, 540 feet. This is the largest platform on the island, and was ornamented with fifteen gigantic statues. These have been thrown down upon their faces on the inshore side, and the most of these are broken, the one on the south end being fractured across the middle of the body, leaving the lower section still standing. The red tufa crowns are lying a short distance away and are also much broken. The hard stones of which the sea-front of this platform is constructed are of immense size, faced and neatly joined together. One of the foundation- stones in the center of this wall is of red tufa and represents a human head.
   Our investigations were commenced at this point by throwing down the facing-stones and working straight backwards through the platform. The labor was great, and occupied the most of our force for nearly two days, but the catacombs and tombs underlying the structure were thoroughly examined. Under the central section are small, narrow passages forming a part of the original design, having been built up while the platform was in process of construction, and containing human remains. The oldest of these tombs appear to have been sealed up before the structure was completed, and the probability is that they were not intended to be opened, from the fact that there is nothing to indicate their exact locality. The pedestal-stones, all of which are still in place, show that the images were put up at equal distances and with a view to symmetry, and without regard to the position of the tombs; though

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