natives at night, and to kill them ; others are faid to inhabit
a certain deferted ifland named Mannua, where they
are vifible in the fhape of ftrong, tall men, with fiery eyes,
and devour thofe who happen to approach their coaft : but
this rather alludes to the anthropophagy, which, as I have
before obferved, feems to have exifted at thefe illands, previous
to their prefent ftate of civilization.' A number of
plants are particularly facred to the deities. The cafuarina,
the coco-palm, and the banana, are frequently planted near
marais, or public places of worfhip. A fpecies of cratavn,.
a fort of pepper, the hibifcus populneus, the dracana terminally,.
and the calopEyllum, are all found in the fame places, and'are
alike confidered as figns of peace and friendfhip. Some:
birds, fuch as a fpecies of heron, king’s-fifher, and cuckoo,
are alfo confecrated to the deity ; but I have already mentioned,
that they are not held in equal veneration by all the:
people ; and it is alfo to be obferved, that different illands.
protect different bird's.
The priefts of thefe illands continue in office during their
life, and their dignity is hereditary. The high-prieft of every
ifland is always an aree, who has the highelt rank after the
king. They are confulted upon many important occasions,,
partake largely of the good things of the country, and.’ ini
ffiort have found means to make themfelves neceflary. Betides
the priefts, there is alfo in every diftritSt one or two
teachers, or tata-o-rerro, like Tootavai, who. are Ikilled in
theogony.
theogony and cofmogony, and at certain times inftrufl the
people in thefe things. The fame perfons likewife pre-
ferve the knowledge of geography, together with their ideas
of aftronomy and the divifion of time. They have the
names of fourteen lunar months, in the following order :
i . O-Pororo-mooa. 2. O-Paroro-mooree. 3. Moorehah.
4. Oohee-eiya. 5. O-Whirre-amma. 6. Taowa. 7. O-
Whirre-erre-erre. 8. O-Tearree. 9. Ote-tai. 10, Warehoo.
i i . Wahou. 12. Pippirree. 13. E-Oonoonoo. 14. Oo-
mannoo. The firft feven months collectively are called
Ooroo, or a bread-fruit feafon ; but in what manner they
arrange thefe months, in order to effefl a complete cycle or
a year, is a myftery to us at prefent. It fhould feem that
Lome of the months, efpecially the fecond and feventh, are
intercalary, from the refemblance of their names to thofe
of the firft and fifth, and that they are inferted in different
years. Each of the lunations confifts of twenty-nine days.
During the two laft days of the lunation, they fay the moon
is dead, becaufe it does not appear ; it is therefore plain
that they begin to count from the moon’s firft appearance,
and not from the real time of the conjunction. The
twenty-fifth day of the thirteenth moon, E-Oonoonoo, was
our third of June, when we obtained this information.
The name of tahowa, which the Taheitians apply to
priefts, is not entirely confined to them, but is alfo given
JO thofe perfons who know the virtues of a few plants,
X 2 , which
1774»
June.