to-himfelf he utters a. loud fhriek, and'feems? to awake.as.fram'a
profound tteep.iunconfcious o f every thing w hich hath patted; ,v
The priefts who fuperintend j| the I lower -orders o f .the people proceed
- nearly in the'fame mtümfeiV'Witih variations 'only, acéojffingfito.
their ctaft and abilities.! ''-amdng'thefci are-.women; whori,officiate?
though'not .folejy,..fbb-t heir own fex. They think it impofEblé. tbM
a ehildi'fhpiild come into the '.world without • their affiftance,\; ..thpugh;
in fa6b, they afford themhoner People o f property) whenMck? w ill
fomètimés have Half a’ dözeni o f thefe:i:priéfts5andy^ieHèffesrpldying
aroünd them, and making éfferingsiïqg them; ‘andi whichevfer ’pfl.t^efê
happens, in 'the. eftimation o f the lick perfon? to he ;the .happy caiife ®f
hisirecoverypis .fore -to^be well rewardedl, i andn ever after.vbighly
réfpe^ed)* whatever clafs ofr; the priefthqód ha.mayigbd&ÊigjJ
Whenever a prieft vifitssa perfon of. confequence 5-he'k carries rafiyouffg
plantaiir. in his hand j ahd before he enters the h o p ^ o fE b ^ prayer;
fticks a leaf o f the plantain in-the thatch, and ftluóws' Ae;remainder
qfivtheftreefon.thejhof. .:
Their facrifices and pblations aire, various and liberal. They, offer to
their gods all the product o f their ifland, hogs, dogs, fowls, fifh, and
vegetables ; and at" every feaft. a portiomrs -.psrefented toithedEatooa
before they prefume to take their own- repaft.' r Whert’a xprieft. dei
Bounces the neceffity o f a human »facrifice/l or, -^as ,oa. the, inauguration
o f the king)-.' cuftom requires sfoóh-.öffir^^idfhptfoarfneftf§ff
feletfting them is: by a council o f the'chief with thé raticr^ ƒ. H Thé
occafion isr ftated, and the- vidtim pitched u^orb^fhef^'sij tiiuail.yÏ a
marked character,: who has been guilty o f blafphemy,. or fome
éhormöüs crime, or a ftranger who has-fled, to the diftriét for fhelter
from fome other part on account o f his ill conduct. .. The decifion
o f this council is kept a profound'feeret, and perhaps the only one
which is fo. They watch the opportunity of'-the night, when the
culprit is afleep, and difpatch him, if. p’offible, withtone •blow o f a
Hone on the nape of. the neck, -to prevent any disfigurement' o f the
frody 5 - a : bone o f .him - mutt not ,be broken, - por thé. carpfe mangled
W ’rftp f e t e d i f f ' ar-marf iha# beeiilbit.ahdidièhgured.By a woman;
he Héc^mes hüa, ':!JnclêarifvfêiiféveV,tï4hd can never He offered in facri-«
fifed;-*'* The vidtim is'pflteê&è in a bafket of?i'fcocoa-nut leaves fattened
to a-'lÖng' jlolé, and'cafriedwM'a.faejred canoe, to the morai,' when the
e^e is offered tOMthe kj'ngMth thje{ceremonies^ejfore deftribëd.; |
I f the chief and ratlrras, on the requifition o f the priefts, declare
they can find ■’none dt fervnag; dl .idi’sfiV thtir difttidt, or refufe to pro-_
d h ^ ’maytttbttttute a hog ?h h‘is plate;, and
it is4"reported!, as taking off fqmetjhm^from the horror o f the deed,
that'ho’ne'aic.pitclicd' upon whofe have not been jfiftH foifejted
by tfi^.1 f) Wh^èTthereris hnla tef nor.t^daJ’^dmi^ttration
o f pittite, this mtHic* is*ful)fl:itutu3[ to mfpitth a tmininlijfwhom
Ifis fricnds'fmight iofcue’;v1)uf being ‘th%)f&ècptèd)j‘'it '.is,fuppofecf
fh'e iGhoichf w‘a|‘ right?, and |pd >farthe^. j n^ # » taken :, but . what a
private eUmity, ’ andvrevenge/ jiiptw
evjd®?$m: ffjqci&ig. Nö'wèma'n iS4iable'&> be'offered at 'the Soaietif
ÏÖanHs) though’^K^appear the^hiefti^Stims. at the Frfèn'dly: Iflands';
'tfe y y ‘•at'ötahèitej >.|bëïpr'êfent at'^ny ,bf ^tj;r|ligious affem-
niTC!s!M[)ate.lie ,offirip^’'ait the'morai, br tread thetcpnfecrated
grouhJ, t,xclptr óti^A paiti< üt!rr''oct dfbn norhila^ stlïfv iVit^of any
loh^SN4&Kr^^3hêO^>tfiere,' oè^ogcllèd.'hy thofe' whpsófficiate, at’the
‘a ffa^ f shd'’ all> ;their maffe atténHabts are in the famé ftate ó f ‘uncleari-
nefs and fiMuffepb*
* 'Thefacred^ground afeuhd'ihearS'öféaè affords af^httifaryfoncHm^
tn è s '^ ^ h ifh fér,->on''ad^;,4 ’^8henflonhof daiïgfei*; ^èyjflW.t efpecially
w h ^ . numerous -facrifices arë fexpêiÉed, ''andvcahnptethSagcé^hE takfeh
B y forefé, though' "they fare fometimesofedüced^to^quif -éheirïafytam.
On the '^inauguration '‘óP'.Ötoo rhahy'took refogé ïnitKéipf’êGirfóf^df
thé mutineers’ 'habitation, which V&s held facred as.-thè morai, ahd
where t h è y enjoyèdhfüll pfötédfiop^ j-Oteihabitations. will affordras
affurea ^ êm pfioh ; and the W-hoMdiftrid. ó f Matavai being.ceded*t'o
{is,%ó MorPhumam "facrifices, will'aprobkbly!berdémandaf from.' us,
and fuch an example wilhhavé' ihSmbft beneficial teiïde'ncy to aböfiiffi