548 R E M A R K S o n - t he
RELIGION. them fome facrifices o f the animals and fruit o f their country.. I
have frequently, feen hogs, dogs, or fowls roafted, covered with, a
fine piece o f cloth, and expofed on a kind o f altar, built near thn
marai for that purpofe : I likewife faw great fcaffoldings in the
neighbourhood o f the marai;. wholly covered with bananas, and
plantane's, as facrifices on offerings to their gods-,; but I never faw
any thing elfe offered: to their divinities, nor did I ever, hear, that
they facrifice men. However, as Captain Cook feems to have ia -
veftigated the- fubjed-very carefully, * it is not improbable -j- that
they think it expedient- to punifti their criminals in this manner,
by devoting them as facrifices to their God nay, as we have already
mentioned, ^ that in more, remote times canibalifm was introduced
among the Taheiteans, and the inhabitants of the Society
Ifles, it is highly probable that thefe human facrifices, are the remains,
of the canibalifm of thefe ifianders; with this, difference, that theyno.
w.
See Gook-s Voyage,- vol. 1. .
f Almoft all the antient nations facrificed men; the Egyptians excepted; who never -
were addicted to this eruel-and barbarous cuftom ; and wherever it -is mentioned in old writers
that the Egyptians practifed this method in order to appeafe the anger of their gods, it is to
be underftood of the Arabian fhepherds,. who undoubtedly were ufed to reconcile their divinities
by human facrifices, and who once had over-run and'conquered all'Egypt. . On the
fubjeft-of averting the anger of-the gods, by-the effufion of human blood, among all nations,.
none has written with greater learning, than the ingenious Mr. Bryant, in his Ohjervations.
and Inquiries relating to various Parts of ancient Hifiory, p. 267— 28-5..
% See Cook’s Voyage, p, 327, and likewife p. 358, 359, and 360,. ^
now flay and offer the criminals to the Gods, without eating them j
whereas they formerly added that inhumanity and barbarifm..
Though the reftri&ion of killing only bud men, for the reconciliation
o f the favour of their Gods, feems very much to mitigate,
this cruel cuftom, and by all appearance fandifies the impious rite,
into a legal neceffary adtionj it is, however, again debafed in. the.
moft deteftable manner;? by leaving the choice o f the perfon, who.
is. to be devoted to. the gods, to the caprice of the High Prieft;,
who, on this, occafion,. has an opportunity, not only o f indulging,
his private revenge againft any man, by whom, he may think him-
felf injured, but alfo of pradifing at the fame time one of. the
molt abominable fcenes o f prieft-craft that ever took place; for it-
is.faid,. that on certain occafions, when the nation is- folemnly
affembled, the High Prieft alone enters the houfe of, God, or the
marai, and after flaying there forfome time, he returns and informs
the congregation, that having converfed, with, their great God, he
was. ordered, to afk for a human- facrifice, and. then mentions the
perfon whom the deity, defired.to have offered ; this man is immediately
feized. and killed,, being beaten till he be dead. The cir-
cumftanc.e„that fuch criminals only as had:nothing wherewithal to
redeem themfelves, are devoted to death, proves. befides, that the
prieft has an opportunity o f fatisfying his avarice. What has been
hitherto faid on this peculiar part : of the. religious worfhip pradifed
in
RELIGION.