1777- Thofe who are devoted to fuffer, in order to perform this
September, a ft o f worfhip, are never apprized o f their fate, till
the blow is given that puts an end to their exiftence. Whenever
any one o f the great Chiefs thinks a human facrifice
necelTary, on any particular emergency, he pitches upon
the viCtim. Some o f his trully fervants are then fent, who
fa ll upon him fuddenly, and put him to death with a club»
or by iloning him. T h e k in g, is next acquainted with it,
whofe prefence, at the folemn rites that fo llow , is, as I was
told, abfolutely n ece ffary; and, indeed, on the prefent oc-
cafion, we could obferve, that Otoo bore a principal part'
T h e folemnity itfe lf is called Poore Eree, or C h ie f’s Prayer;
and the victim, who is offered up, Taata-taboo, or confe-
crated man. This is the only inftance where we have heard
the word taboo ufed at this illand, where it feems to have
the fame myfterious fignification as at T onga ; though it is
there applied to all cafes where things are not to be
touched. But at Otaheite, the word raa ferves the fame
purpofe, and is fu ll as cxtenftvc in its meaning.
T he morai (wliich, undoubtedly, is a place o f worihip, fa crifice,
and burial, at the fame time), vyhere. the. facrifice
was now offered, is that where the fupieme' C h ie f o f
the whole iiland, is always'buried, and is appropriated to
his family, and fome o f the principal people. It differs
little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal
part, is a large, oblong pile o f itones, ly in g loofely
upon each 6ther, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted
towards the top, w ith a fquare.area, on each fide,
loofely paved with pebble itones, under which the bones o f
the Chiefs are buried. At a litcle diftance from the end
neareft the fea, is the place where the facrifices are offered ;
which, for a confiderajale extent, is alfo loofely paved.
There
The re is here a v e ry large fcaffold, o r whatta, on w h ich the
offerings o f fruits, and other vegetables, are laid. But the <— ■— 1
animals are depofited on a fmaller one, already mentioned,
and the human facrifices are buried under different parts o f
the pavement. T h e re are feveral other reliques w hich ignorant
fuperftition had fcattered about this place; fuch as fmall
itones, raifed in different parts o f the pavement; fome with
bits o f cloth tied round th em ; others covered w ith i t ; and
upon the fide o f the la rg e pile, w h ich fronts the area, are
placed a great many pieces o f carved wood, w h ich are fup-
pofed to be femetimes the refidence o f their divinities, and,
confequently, held facred. But one place, more particular
-than the reft, is a heap o f itones, at one end o f the la rg e
•whatta, before w h ich the facrifice was offered, w ith a kind
o f platform at one fide. On this are laid the fculls o f all the
human facrifices, w h ich are taken u p after they h ave been feveral
months under ground. Juft above them, are placed a
great number o f the pieces o f w o o d ; and it was alfo here,
where the maro, and the other bundle, fuppofed to contain the
god Ooro (and w h ich I call the ark), were laid, d u r in g the ceremony
; a circumftance w h ich denotes its agreement with
the altar o f other nations.
It is much to be regretted, that a practice fo horrid in its
own nature, and fo deftruiflive o f that inviolable right o f
felf-prefervation, w h ich every one is born with, ihould be
foun d ftill exifting ; and (fuch is the power o f fuperftition
to counteract the firft principles o f h um a n ity !) exifting
amongft a people, in many other refpects, emerged from
the brutal manners o f favage life . What is ftill worfe, it is
probable, that thefe bloody rites o f worihip are prevalent
throughout all the wide extended iilands o f the Pacific
Ocean. T h e fimilarity o f cuftoms and languag e, which
V o l . II. G our