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THE ^^ UTH PACIFIC AND NEW GUINEA PAST AND PRESENT; WITH 'ES ON THE HERVEY GROUP, AN ILLUSTRATIVE AND VARIOUS MYTHS. BY The Rev. WILLIAM" WYATT GILL, B.A. (Lox.) ; LL.D. (St. Andrews). 'X y^ 0? « . ♦ CHARLES POTTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, PHILLIP-STREET. y* 8»— 92 1S92. 116272 G-4- THE SOUTH PACIFIC AND NEW GUINEA DISCOVERY. Yasco Nu5;kz de Baluoa was the first European who, from a mountain-top in the Isthmus o£ Panama (September 29, 1513), gazed upon the vast expanse of water now known as the Pacific Ocean. Seven years afterwards, Magellan entered (from the strait which now bears his name) the cahn waters of that new sea on which he was the first to sail, and which he named the Pacific Ocean {Mar Facifico). Sir Francis Drake entered the Pacific September, 1577, being the first Englishman to sail upon it. Tasman, Roggewein, Dampier, and other explorers of the seventeenth century discovered Australia, Xew 1^ Zealand, Tasmania, and many smaller groups of islands. The voyages of N Anson, Behring, the two Bougainvilles, the illustrious Cook, La Perouse, •^ D'Entrecasteaux, Carteret, Vancouver, Kruzensteru, Kotzebue, Commodore Wilkes, &c., &c., practically completed the geographical exploration of the Pacific Ocean. Within recent years several scientific exploring expeditions have examined the Pacific. Of these, the voyages of the " Challenger," iK "Gazelle," and "Tuscarora" are the most important. :* The principal groups — extending from the equator to about 30° south of it — are the following. The Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Society Islands, the Hervcy Islands, the Samoan Islands, the Tokelau, Phcenix, and EUice Grroups, the Tongan Group, the Fiji Islands, the Loyalty Islands, the Xcw Hebrides Group, the Santa Cruz Islands, and the Solomon . »"■'■ FORMATION, Some of these islands are volcanic in their origin ; others are coralline. The volcanic islands are mostly very high in proportion to their size. The lofty peaks, or truncated cones, which form their backbone— exquisitely draped with lianas, small shrubs, ferns, and club-mosses — present a most attractive appearance to the voyager. The coral islands may be divided into three classes, viz., atolls, barrier reefs, and fringing reefs. Atolls are rings of coral reef surrounding a central lagoon of considerable depth. Barrier reefs differ from the atolls chiefly in the fact of their containing an island in the centre, the island being separated from the reef by a body of deep water. Striking examples of this occur amongst the Society and Samoan Groups. Fringing reefs are coralline foundations attached to a volcanic backbone (as at Earotonga), without any interior deep-water channel. These marvellous structures are the work of the reef-building coral polype, which however does not live and work below about 120 feet. With respect to the atolls, Dr. Darwin believes that the lagooji is precisely in the place which the top of a shoal, or the highest part of an island, once occupied. In 1888, Mr. John Murray published a new theory of coral island formation. which claims to account for all the phenomena without calling in the aid of subsidence. With this new theory the writer heartily agrees. DESCRIPTION. The true coral i^>lands, or atolls, are very imattractive, rising only 10 or 15 ft. above high-water mark. The soil consists merely of sand and broken coral, washed on to the reefs by Old Ocean. In this wretched soil grow luxuriantly the coco-nut palm, the screw pine, Gordia,* HeriKmclia, Calo- phijlJiim inophylhim, Avith a few other lofty forest ti'ecs and low shrubs. Sea- going canoes, carefully preserved from generation to generation, are made out of the Cord/a, the w"ood of the Calophylhim being too hard to be hollowed out with their ancient shellt adzes. So poor is the vegetation of these atolls that not more than fifty species of plants have been found in the Tokclau, Ellice, and Gilbert Groups. All the species consist of littoral plants found on the A'olcanic islands. The fauna of these atolls consists chiefly of a few birds, lizards, small brown rats, and insects. On approaching one of them, the eye rests upon a forest of coco-nut palms rising apparently out of the ocean ; so abundantly does this invaluable palm — the staff of life to thousands of Polynesians — grow on these tropical sand-banks, the roots (in many instances) laved by the sea. In three atolls known to me, the lagoons are oi fresh water, thereby enabling the inhabitants to cultivate successfully the food-plants of the volcanic islands. The singular circumstance of a large body of fresh water, marked off from the ocean by only half-a-mile of coral reef, may be thus accounted for ; these atolls are believed to be situated over the craters of former volcanoes, and there must bo a submarine connection between them and some of the volcanic islands where mountain streams are abundant. These atolls suffer much from drought. I have known a drought on one of them (Arorae) to last for eight years. On these atolls the natives obtain brackish water by digging in the sr.nd and coral. The water (misnamed "milk") of the coco-nut is therefore highly valued. Happily, the lagoons and surround ing ocean are alive with fish easily caught. As, however, experi- ence proves that it is impossible to sustain life for any length of time on fish only, in times of drought and consequent famine, tlie natives fell coco-nut palms and eat the crown, which is very palatable. Even the green fronds and roots are pounded and the sap eagerly sucked, in order to counteract the evils resulting from an exclusively fish diet. As might be expected, the natives of Arorae were mere skeletons, and their naturally dark-browni skin became almost black. On a subsequent visit, when abundant rains had fallen, I was glad to see the natural colour restored to their (comparatively) plump bodies. Several elevated coi'al islands are found in the South Pacific. Evidently they have been lifted up by successive stages and sudden movements. The islands of Mare, Lifu, Uvea, Niue, &c., are of this order. On the?e there are clear indications of three distinct upheavals, which took place at very long intervals. These islands are old enough to have a considerable depth of vegetable soil, covered Avith coco-nut and other trees, yet not comparable with the volcanic islands for fertility. The cliffs are pierced by largo caverns, formerly used as cemeteries, or as places of refuge for the vanquished in battle. " Scores of these caves are lilled Avith mummies. Stalactite and stalagmite abound, and form thick and fast-growing layers of lime-rock. I have sometimes chipped oif pieces of lime-rock embedding human bones. It is perfectly Avell understood amongst the natives Avhat tribes or families have the right to use these caverns. I haAC, with the assistance of nati\'e guides and candle-nut torches, explored numbers of them, and haA-e often been * The wofKl is brown, beautifully veined with >)lack. t The ordinary basaltic adze of the \olcanic islands not being procurable on the atolls. amazed at the dazzling beauty suddenly revealed by our flambeaux. At other times the only possible track would terminate abruptly on the edge of an awful chasm or a subterranean stream. The lar^xest and most celebrated cavern I have explored is " Tlie Labyrinth " (Tuatini), on the island of Manjjaia. Anataketake, on tho island of Atiu, will well repay the trouble of exploration. Some very- romantic stories are connected with it. As might be expected, the flora and fauna of the elevated coral islands are less rich than that of the volcanic islands, but much richer than that of the atolls. But whilst most of the species are identical with those found on the neighbouring volcanic islands, there are some interesting local variations arising from changed surroundings. The volcanic islands have been the theme of admiration of all voyagers, from Cook downwards. It is impossible for one who has spent his days amid the quiet beauties of the temperate zone to conceive of the wealth and variety of vegetation in the tropics. In some parts of Xew Guinea and the South Pacific I have gazed upon scenes of loveliness that beggar description. Sailing round Tahiti after a heavy tropical downpour, I counted twenty -four waterfalls in the bosom of the mountains, Avhere the foot of man had scarcely ever trod. The full blaze of the morning sun made the streams shine as molten silver against a background of richest green of manifold tints. PRODUCTS. Bread-fruit, plantains, bananas of many varieties, the papaw apple, orange, citron, lime, custard-apple, chesnut, guava, mango, pine-apple, and coffee abound. Horses, cattle, goats, pigs, turkeys, fowls, and ducks have been successfully introduced. The honey-bee thrives. In many of the volcanic islands "tare" {CaJadium petiolatiim), plantains, and bananas constitute the staff of life ; in others, the yam {Dioscorea sativa) and breadfruit {Arfocarpits incisa) ; in others, again the sweet potato and the papaw apple. The chesnut {Inocarpus cdiilis), the Jlocasia Indica (Seem an), and. arrowroot (Tacca pinnatijida) are much used. The kava, a narcotic drink much in request on many islands, is prepared (by chewing) from the root of a pepper (JPiper methysticum). FAUNA. The indigenous fauna of the South Pacific is poor in mammals, but rich in birds. Mammals arc represented by pigs, dogs, rats, and bats. Pigeons and doves are abundant. The Megapodius Brenchlej/il is a native of the Solomon Islands. The kagu {Rliiconeius juhatus), a peculiar " wingless" bird, has its habitat on New Caledonia only. In Samoa that remarkable bird the tooth-billed pigeon, or little dodo (Didnncuhis stringirostris), is found. The didunculus is the nearest of kin to the extinct dodo. Non- venomous snakes are found on Savaii, and on many islands westward of Samoa. Insects, especially beetles and butterflies, are very plentiful. A spectre insect (Lopaphiis coccopliccjus) spends its life exclusively upon the leaflets (the rough inner side) of the coco-nut palm, and is most destructive. NEW GUINEA. The flora of Now Guinea is extremely rich, but has a closer aflinity to that of Australia than to that of tho Pacific. Eucalypti, acacias, and other Austi'alian types are found from the Gulf of Papua to Humboldt Bay. Various kinds of Ficns, Casuarina, Araucaria, Colophi/lliim, Aleiirites, «S:c., , petticoat, made by chewing tlie split ferial roots of the Pandantis. On Api the women used a tiny apron* of pkiited grass, prettily stained, and secured by a string round the waist, the ornamental part hanging down. On Espiritu Santo the women, in 1863, wore mere tufts of green grass. To woman, in her lowest degradation, is given an instinctive uiodesty ; but the men in heathenism are very different, " glorying in their shame." The Polynesians Avere mostly a clothed race. The varieties of dress were numerous, each having a distinctive name. The paper-mulberry plant was extensively cultivated for that purpose. The inner bark of the bread-fruit tree was on some islands largely utilised for clothing. A vrrapper or dress of this material is very pleasant and soft to wear, and of an agreeable light- brown colour, I have watched the preparation of a piece of a bread-fruit cloth, several hundreds of yards in length ! Sometimes the bark of the banyan tree, of the Hibiscus, and even of that wonderful liana, the Enfada scaiuleiis, furnished Polynesians (of the poorer sort) with nsef\il clothing. On the atolls, wliere these fibre-producing trees and ])lants are unknown, the inhabitants have to be content with the split leaves of the Pandanus or the coco-nut, coarsely plaited. The women of the Line Islands, in 1863, wore an immense ])etticoat made of split ])andanns leaves, reminding the visitor of the crinoline then in vogue amongst their fairer sisters in Europe and the States. And now in regard to New Guinea. In 1872 I found the males of the dark Papuan race entirely nude ; but the females wore a grass girdle extending from the waist to the knees. The males of the light-skinned tribes east of Eedscar Eay wore an extremely norrow girdle (of paper- mulberry bark), or, as in the case of the Motu tribe, a string only ; the women use grass girdles, ornamented by alternate red and yellow stripes of * I deposited one in the British Museum. 8 paudaiius leaf. My first impression of the Eedscar Bay -women, in 1872, was that they wore some tasteful, close-fitting, lace-like garment; but it proved to be merely the exquisitely beautiful tattooing with which they were covered. COMMERCE. Prior to the introduction of Christianity, commerce did not exist. Tfie commerce of the South Pacific and jN'ew Gruinea may be now estimated at upwards of £3,000.000. So surely does civilization follow in the wake of Christianity. In those groups where Christianity has been fully established the value of the exports is about £5 per head. The principal exports are copra, pearl-shell, beche-de-mer, cotton free from seeds, coffee, lime-juicei, bananas, oranges, pine-apples, earth-nuts, arrowroot ; and from New Guinea, red cedar, sago and spices. ; MISSIONS. Eighty years ago the whole of the Pacific was heathen. ]S"ow, upwards of 300 islands are Christianised. I first saw the Pacific in 1851. At tha: period the light was struggling with darkness. Visiting in 1862 most of the islands of the IN^ew Hebrides, there was scarcely one, save Aneityum, where the life of a stranger was worth five minutes purchase. To a large extent things are very different now ; life and property are respected, tlie Sabbath is well observed, the Bible (or a portion of it) is read, and an industrious iind peace-loving people are well clothed and hospitable to strangers. "War, -cannibalism, human sacrifices, systematic infanticide, &c., are things of the past, except in the Solomon Islands, &c., where little has been as yet done by missionaries. But even there the good work done by the Melanesian mission is not without its salutary influence over a considerable area. Seven complete translations of the Scriptures have been made into dialects previously unwritten. Thirteen others are proceeding at the present moment. The Rev. W. Gr. Lawes has just carried through the press the entire New Testament in the Motu language spoken at Port Moresby, &c., in New Guinea. AVhen, in 1872, the liev. A. M. Murray and the writer first located native evangelists on the mainland of New Guinea, the existence of the Motu tribe was unknown to the civilized world ; yet, to-day the Word -of God is read and valued by many of those natives. That the message of Divine love should thus be conveyed in twenty barbarous dialects is itself a wonderful fact, whether regarded from a literary or a religious point of view. A whole body of educational literature has sprung up m connection with mission work. The only attempt to make a collection of this sort of literature is that known in Auckland, New Zealand, as " The Sir George Grey Collection." In 1797* the London Missionary Society commenced its work on the lovely island of Tahiti. The mission was subsequently extended over the Society and Austral Groups. The Prench occupation of those islands has very recently induced the London mission to transfer its Avork to the Paris Missionary Society with the utmost goodwill. The London mission still operates in the Hcrvey, Samoan, Tokelau, Ellice, and Loyalty Groups, and notably in British New Guinea. King Pomare II. of Tahiti rendered invaluable assistance to the Eev. H. Nott in his admirable and thoroughly idiomatic translation of the Scriptures into the Tahitian language. The Tahitian version was the first of the many translations of the Bible into the laiiguages spoken by the Pacific Islanders. The late Queen Pomare was the only daughter of this royal translator. " The noble work done by my American brethren in the Sandwich Islands and other groups of the North Pacific scarcely falls within the scope of this paper, as I am writing only on the South Pacific and New Guinea. In 1S22 the Wesleyan Missionary Society began their work in the Tongan Group ; in 1835 their work was extended to the Piji Group ; in 1877 they advanced to Xew Britain, Xew Ireland, &e. The Presbyterians began work in the Xew Hebrides in 1818, amid a wild and treacherous population. On nearly all those once savage islands their missionaries are now labouring with marked success. In that same year Bishop Selwyn first visited several of the islands in the Western Pacific. This led to the formation of the Melanesian (Episcopal) Mission. The tragic end of the lamented Bishop Patteson will be fresh in the minds of all readers. A Roman Catholic (Marist) Mission was commenced in 1834 in the Gambler's Islands, and was afterwards extended to Tahiti, Marquesas, Samoa, Wallis' Island, Tonga and Fiji, New Caledonia and British New Guinea. I once remonstrated with an incorrigible heathen thief on the peril to which he exposed himself by his tricks. He naively replied, " The day I was born my father dedicated me to Hire, god of thieves. His servant I am. I know no other god. Why rebuke me for ser\-ing Hiro ? " This was in the Eastern Pacific. In 1862 I first visited the Loyalty Islands (in the AVestern Pacific), and found a mission family with their converts in nirjlithj expectation of a threatened attack from a host of cannibals. Tears afterwards I again called, and found a well-clothed, industrious, law-abiding population, kind and courteous to strangers. A beautiful church (of large blocks of white coral) had been erected by these islanders for their own use. And, strangest of all, there was a band of twelve ex-cannibals, educated, and " mighty in the Scriptures," ready to go with the Rev. A. W. Murray and myself to instruct the heathen of New Guinea. 10 ]N[otes 01] the Jlervey Islands, Soiitl] pacific. (Annexed, at the request of the native chlefa, by Great Britain in ISSS.) BiRTH AND CHILDHOOD. On tlie island of Mangaia, in the Hervey Gri'oup, as soon as a child is born, a leaf* of the Alocasia Inclica (Seaman) was cut oft*, its sides carefully gathered up, and filled with pure water. Into this extempore baptismal font the child would be placed. First ^yiog with a bit of " tapa " (native cloth made from the inner bark of the Broiissonetia pnpi/rifera) the part ef the navel-string nearest the infant, the right hand of the operator longitudinalli/ divided the cord with a bamboo-knife. The dark coagulated blood was then carefully v/ashed out with Avater, and the name of the child's god declared, it having been previously settled by the parents whether their little one should belong to the mother's tribe or the father's. Usually the father had the preference ; but occasionally when the father's tribe was devoted to furnish sacrifices, the mother would seek to save her child's life by getting it adopted into her own tribe, the name of her own tribal divinity being pronounced over the babe. As a rule, however, a father would stoically pronounce over his child the name of his own god — Utakea, Teij)e, or Tangiia — which would almost certainl}^ insure its destruction m after years. It was done as a point of honour ; besides, the child might not be required for sacrifice, although eligible. The bamboo-knife would be taken to the " marae " of the god specified, and thrown on the ground to'rot. If a second god's name were pronounced over the child, the bamboo-knife would go to one " marae," and the name of the babe onl}^ be pronounced over the second "marae." The removal of the coagulated blood was believed to be highly conducive to health, all impurities being thus removed out of the system. An analogy was believed to exist between the pith of a tree and the umbilical cord at birth. Hence the expressions '' ara io " i.e., " pathway of the pith," or simply " io "f i.e., "pith," are still used for " God." On the island of Earotonga, when a boy was born, a collection of spears, clubs, and slinging stones was made. When the sun was setting, a leaf of that gigantic aroid, Alocasia Indica, filled with water, was held over these Avarlike weapons, and the umbilical cord treated as above described. The idea was that the child should grow up to be a famous Avarrior. Infanticide Avas rarely practised in the Ilervey Group, excepting at Earotongaj^ where it was common. In six out of seA'cn islands of the IlerA'ey Group cannibalism ceased only with the introduction of Christianity. It is Avorthy of note that on the remaining island — Mangaia— this revolting practice ceased before the intro- duction of Christianity, a circunistance unparalleled in Polynesia. It Avasin this Avise : About a century before the Gospel was conveyed to those islands, the famous priest-chief, Mautara, had, by craft and force, crushed out all his foes, and seized the reins of goA'ernment. There Avas not a person living on * From 8 to VI feet in circumference. The Alocasia Indica is a g-i^'antic aroid, the native name of which is " kape." t In .Maori "iho" ( = io) means the /tinis uiiibilicw). See " llyths and Songs" by the present writer page 37. 11 the island but was connected with him or his by worship, blood, or marriage. "When this far-seeing man acquired absolute power, he wisely forbadt? cannibalism, through fear of perpetuating the anarchy which for generations had existed. StiN the old habit showed itself again, even in Mautara ; and solitary instances of cannibalism are knowix to have taken place in later times by stealth, not openly and constantly as in the early days of the celebrated priest-chief. Old cannibal Hervcy Islanders have assured me that human flesh is " far superior to pig." My worthy friend and helper, jMaretu, of Karotonga, was. in early manhood, a cannibal. This I learnt from his own lips. But the last generation that practised cannibalism has entirely disappeared. Their descendants, in many instances, through shame, deny the well-known facts of the past. At Mangaia, and, I believe, the other islands of the Hervey Group, it was customary to prepare the body in this wise : The long s])ear, inserted at the fundament, ran through the body, appearing again with the neck. As on a spit, the body was slowly singed over a fire, in order that the entire cuticle and all the hair might be removed. The intestines were next taken out, washed in sea-water, wrapped up in singed banana leaves (a singed banana- leaf, like oil-silk, retains liquid), cooked and eaten, this being the invariable- perquisite of those who prepared ttefeast. The body was cooked, as pigs now are, in an oven specially set apart, red-hot basaltic stones, wrapped iu leaves, being placed inside to insure its being equally done. The best joint was the thigh. In native phraseology, "nothing would be left but the nails and the bones." It is worthy of notice that only warriors partook of these horrid feasts in the Hervey Grroup, very rarely, and by stealth, women and children (as in times of famine), or the remains of a broken clan hiding in the forest or in caves. Indeed, when a wan'ior wished his son to partake of hximan flesh for the first time, it was needful to deceive the lad by saying; " it was only a bit of pork." Of course, when the truth oozed out, the son felt less scruple in following the evil ways of his father and uncles. Taoro, of Earotonga, cooked his only hhild (a son) as a return feast for his cannibal friends. There can be no question that, at first, an inward voice protested against this unnatural j^ractice. Yet, after a time, they learned to glory in their shame. For many generations after the settlement of the islands cannibalism was rarely practised. Native traditions distinctly inform us when it was first sanctioned by the authority of leading men, and thus grew to be customary. Strange that on ]\Iangaia it should again have ceased. In the opinion of many, in the deadlock which -existed about the date of the introduction of Christianity, the natives of IMangaia would have relapsed into cannibalism. The deadlock was this : — Teao would only consent to beat the drum of ])eace on condition that his two maternal uncles, the leading victorious warrior chiefs (Teao being himself amongst the vanquished), were slain, and laid on the altar of Eongo as the price of peace ! It was for this that Teao lost his: rank in after days. Deformed children are very kindly treated indccfl, although, perhaps, tho deformity was occasioned by the cruel treatment of tlic parents iu a burst of passion. A single child is universally carried astride on tho hip of the mother. "Thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side" (Isaiah, Ix. 4). When there is a second child to be carried, it is placed on the shoulders of the mother, so that it rides triumphantly, holding on to the hair of the parent. This leaves one hip free to carry a basket of food and cooking leaves. It is rare for a father to carry his child. 12 I hare known a lad, three years old, to be still suckled, but in general the period of suckling does not extend beyond two years. Too often infants are not suckled at all, on the plea that the " mother's milk is bad." Such children are "mama paru," i.e., brought up by hand. Bits of " taro " (^Caladiiim petiolatum), well chewed, are given to it from time to time. The kernel of an old coco-nut is finely scraped, the rich, oily juice is then expressed, from it, and given in small quantities to the infant. The spoon anciently used for the purpose is the leaf of the Gardenia. I have often wondered how the stomach of the infants should be able to stand it ; but they do, and become fine men and women. Of late, however, the use of the coco-nut has gone out ot fashion, much to the detriment of the children. The soft, half-formed kernel itself is much used as the child becomes stronger. Many natives feed their new-born children on " paka," i.e., the baked leaves of the " taro,"- dipped in water. The mortality amongst infants thus reared is great, and should they attain to adult age they have a diminutive frame. A chief's child would have three or four wet nurses, in order to produce the enormous frames for which they were famous. It is customary for a native woman, when visiting her friend, to suckle her infant. At Earotonga, to regulate the shape of the child's head, it was a common practice to apply slabs of soft wood (" buka tea ") to the forehead and back of the head to produce the desired shape, i.e., a high head. This practice did not obtain on Mangaia, nor, I think, on any other island of the Hervey Grroup. It is still customary in the Hervey Grroup for mothers to press with the palm of the hand the noses of their infants, so that they may grow squat and round, "not (as I once overheard a woman say) like the thin, starved nose of the white race." When children are small they are spoiled by their parents ; but when of a useful age all this disappears, and many of them have a very hard life. The curse of native family life is adoption ; this makes discipline almost impos- sible. A cross word will make the youngster run off to its adopted parents, who sympathise where they ought to scold. I have known parents take a present of food to the runaway, and humbly entreat his return ; but all in vain ! These adopted parents, however, will resolutely set themselves to discharge the duties of real parents in teaching the youngster the arts needful in after life. The betrothal of the female child often takes place in the families of chiefs, in order to secure a suitable match. In that case the girl is con- tinually receiving presents from the family into which, at adult (say 13 or 14 summers) age, she is to marry. Should the contract not be fulfilled, full payment is exacted for all these gifts ; but, as a rule, the contracts are well kept, so many parties being interested in the affair. MATURITY. When circumxiised, a lad considers himself to be a man. This rite was not unfrequently delayed, so that the lad might become a finer man. It was performed about the age of 17 or 18. A Hervey Island girl may be considered mature at the age of 14. It must not be imagined that the ages of children were marked off by years, as with us. For females, a slight tattooing, the patterns, being different from those on males, is usual. 13 She is expected to make her dtbxt by taking part in the next grand dauce. The greatest requisites of a Polynesian beauty are to be fat and as fair as their dusky skins will permit. To insure this, favourite children in good families, whether boys or girls, were regularly fattened and imprisoned till nightfall, when a little gentle exercise was permitted. If refractory, the guardian would even whip the culprit for not eating more, calling out " Shall I not bo put to shame to see you so slim in the dance ?" These dances invariably took place in the open air, by torchlight. About a year was required for getting up one such entertainment. This long interval was needed, first, for the composing of songs in honour of the fair ones, and the rehearsal of the performers ; secondly, for the growth of " tare," &c., &c., to provide the grand feast necessary. The point of honour w-as to be the fairest and fattest of any young people present. I know of no more unpleasant sight than the cracking of the skin as the fattening process proceeds ; yet this calls forth the admiration of the friends. There is no analogy between the initiation of males into the tribe and the grades of freemasonry, it being done once for all. Xo new name is taken, no special colours used at the ceremony. The advantage that accrues is simply this — he ranks as a man, can marry, take part iix tribal dances, songs, recitatious, and the various duties of adult native life. MARRIAGE. Special messengers, of high social rank, are despatched to make the pro- posal and convey presents in ratification of the contract ; but the betrothed child usually remains in the custody of its parents, now and then paying a visit to the other parties with much ceremony and under proper guardianship. Marriage never occurs by force or capture. Sometimes a fallen tribe or family Avould endeavour to resuscitate its fortunes by giving in marriage the flower of the tribe to some disagreeable but powerful old chief. The pet daughter of a chief often married into an inferior or fallen tribe, the parent intending thereby to swell the ranks of his own warriors by the welcome addition of this inferior or unlucky clan. In times of peace this servile son-in-law is expected to be at the beck and call of his father-in-law\ There is, properly speaking, no such thing as sale or barter of wives in the Hervey Group. Exogamy was the universal rule of the olden time. Should a ti'ibe be split up in war, the defeated portion was treated as an alien tribe. I have known comparatively near relatives to marry with the approbation of the elders of the victorious portion of the tribe, expi'essly on the ground that the sanctity of the clan law had been wiped out in battle. Distant cousins sometimes (though rarely) marry ; but must be of the same generation, i.e., be descended in the same degree (fourth or fifth, or even more remotely) from the common ancestor. That the male branch should thus invade the female is a far more pardonable offence than the converse, but even then, should misfortune or disease overtake these related couples, the elders of the tribe would declare it to be the anger of the clan- god (kua kai te angai). It is the duty of parents to teach their growing children whom they may lawfully marrj^ the choice being extremely limited. The correct thing in the native mind undoubtedly is exogamy. The nuptial ceremony consisted merely in a feast, when bride and bride- groom, seated together on a piece of the finest white native cloth,* ate together in the presence of their friends, and received gifts from them, the good things of the bridegroom's friends going to the bride, and vice versa. * The inner bark of the Bruusnonctia papyrifera beaten ouf with mallets and pasted together. 14 A remarkable ceremony obtained onMangaia in families of distinction on the marriage of the first-born. Gaily dressed, he "walked from his own door-way to the house of the father-in-law over a continiious pathway of living human bodies, members of the wife's clan. On reaching the goal, three elderly females enveloped in the finest cloth, so prostrate themselves as to form a living seat for the bridegroom. A fish is now brought forward, and, with the aid of a bit of sharp bamboo, cut up into dice upon a human body. It is now presented to the bridegroom, who eats it raw. Piles of native cloth and food are then formally presented to the happy man. All pai'ties partake of the feast, and afterwards the road of living bodies is again formed for the distinguished son-in-law to go back, as he came, to his home. In due time (a few months later on) the husband's friends return the com- pliment to the bride, only it is understood that (unless of inferior social status) the second exhibition should surpass the first. The native name of this remarkable custom is " mauinitori." It is a usage of great antiquity, but no account is given by tradition of its origin. (8ee my " Life in the Southern Isles," pp. 59, 60.) Polygamy has been entirely done away with by Christianity. In the olden time it was very common, and was not restricted to chiefs. As women were rarely slain in war, superflous females were divided out amongst the victorious warriors. The famous Arekare, of Mangaia, had ten wives, Parima six, others two apiece. In general, if a man of position married the eldest girl of a slave-family, the younger sisters became his as a matter of course, being only too glad to have a protector. Even amongst those of equal rank, a man often had two or three sisters to wife at the same time. Even now, in Christian times, a woman feels herself to be deeply injured if her brother-in-law does not, on the death of his wife, ask her to become a mother to his children. Children, unless distinctly adopted into another clan, always follow the father. The name of the god pronounced at the severance of the funis iimhUicv.s really determines the clan of the infant, as before stated. In war they usually follow the father's kin ; but the duty of an adopted son would be to fight alongside of his adopted father. Sometimes serfs, forgetting the "Claims of blood, followed their lord to battle. Land is the property of the tribe, and must on no account be alienated. The adopted son possesses land only so long as he goes with the clan, obeys the commands of the elders, and fights (if need be) against his nearest of kin for the tribe into which he has been adopted, A Avoman, in general, owns not an inch of soil, lest she carry away the right to it into another family. Usuallv she gives up one child at least to her own tribe, the rest going to the father's. When her husband dies, she lives on with the tribe as slave to her children. She Avecds, plants, and eats because of them. If they die, she goes back to her tribe as she originally came — empty- handed. AVhen a chief has only a daughter, and that daughter is married (by the father's arrangem.ent) to a man of inferior {i.e., slave) rank, the husband lives with her on land given to her for their mutual support (or, as the phrase runs, "land given to her io feed her hushancV). In all points she rules the household and lands ; but should war break out, he may elect to fight by the side of his father-in-law, and if victory incline to their side, he is no longer counted a slave. Should he go with his own clan to fight against liis father-in-law's tribe, the wife may or may not go with him. Sometimes the wife, "nnth her children, will stay on with her own clan ; so that, if victorious, the children will share the good things of the mother's tribe, whilst the unhappy father, if not slain in battle, becomes a homeless, hunted 15 fugitive. In no case may a woman take into another clan any portion of the ancestral lands of her o-\vn tribe. The reason of this is obvious ; these lands were originally won and subsequently kept by the bravery of the entire tribe. Karely did women light ; their part was to stand a little behind the husband, to carry baskets of stoiies and weapons with which to supply the warriors. Heavy tikoru clothes were thrown by the wives over these spears to turn their points aside from the mark. At Earotonga, &c., the soil was the sole property of the high chiefs (ariki) and nnder-chiefs. These distributed the land in accordance with their own wishes. I do not consider that orphans were in general ill-treated ; the uncles, as a matter of course, looked after their welfare. In the native langiiage there is but one word for '•father" and " uncle." It was of the last importance to the tribe that their niunbcrs should be kept up ; hence the care taken of the children, and their careful education in mimic war. There are no restrictions as to converse, but as to kissing [" rubbing of noses"] plenty. The rule is to "kiss" only wcrt/- relatives on either side. The elders of the tribe settle these knotty points. Many a quarrel have I had to compose, the ground of the dispute being that the lady had no right to permit So-and-so to kiss her. The usual defence is, " it was done openly, and therefore could bear no ill significance." Half the troubles in native life arise from this source ; the other half from laud-grabbing, or, as the natives phrase it, " land-eating." Woman is the slave of man in heathen society. She plants, carries home the food, collects the firewood and succulent oven-leaves, cooks her lord's meal, spreads out supper on hibiscus leaves (in lieu of plates, and of the same size), never omitting the sea-water, used as sauce and salt. Torch-fishing is Avoman's occupation only. Whenever she gets home, often in the small hours of the morning, a special OA^en for these dainties must be prepared by her for her husband and children. The wife is expected not only to feed but to clothe her husl)and. She strips oif the bark of the papei-mulberry {J3rot(ssonetia pnpi/riferci), stee])H it in running water, beats it out with a square iron-wood mallet, pastes the strips together, stains the cloth, or, with the aid of leaves, makes designs on it, glazes the outer side, that her lord may strut about in his new clothes. His duty is to defend land and life, to plant and weed, and to fish Vvdth hook or net or spear. The wife, in hei" torchlight fislung, simply grabs sleepy fish, or puts her hand in holes which they haunt (often to her cost), but never uses either canoe, hook, or net. But as their children (girls) grow up, all the duties of the mother are performed by the daughters. And the strange thing is, that they arc per- fectly content with their lot. To see a woman emerge from the mud of a taro-patch (up to her waist), in which she has been planting taro-tops (no man at Mangaia plants a taro-patch), and then go to the stream to wash herself, excites pity. But she does not think herself to need pity. At Earotonga, and some other islands, men plant and bring home the " taro," but the women weave mats and baskets. After all, despite the horny hands of Mangaian women, their lives are pleasant, so long as Christianity secures immunity from the cruel bloodshed of heathen times. Even in the old time they enjoyed their dances and semi- dramatic performances. In general, it was the young women and girls who took part in these diversions, the middle-aged prompting or clapping hands or looking after the feast to follow. The model Rarotongan warrior never (like other natives) allowed his wife to slcejy on Jiis arm, lest his spirit should become enervated. After slapng a foe, he became " tapu," so that he might, for a certain period, only kiss his 16 wife and children. On no account might lie cohabit witli his wife until the "tapu " had been removed. During this jDeriod of " tapu," all the warriors of the same tribe lived together, receiving immense presents of food. When a sufficient interval had elapsed, in ^preparation for the removal of the " tapu," they would go unitedly to fish. If, while fishing, a warrior happened to be bitten by an " aa " (conger eel), or get his legs clasped by an octopus, he regarded this as a sure presage of a violent death. If he, that day, caught only a miserable fish, such as the poisonous " no'u," it plainly indicated that in his next battle he would only kill a wretched sort of person, not a chief or a warrior. On the other hand, if he caught a really fine fish, it was evident that he would hereafter conquer and kill some person of distinction, and thus enhance the fame of his tribe ! THE TRIBE. Descent in the male line from a common ancestor (tama taue) constitutes the tribe. Descendants in the female line (tama vaine) may be adopted into the tribe, with the consent of the elders, after bathing in a sacred stream in order to wash off the taint of old slave or antagonistic associations. (See my "Historical Sketches of Savage Life," pp. 136-9). In general, slaves married into the victorious clans were content to follow its fortunes ; but there were numerous exceptions to this rule. When dying, mothers of rank would commend their children to the chiefs of their own tribe, the slave-fathers having no voice whatever concerning their own offspring. The filial instinct, however, often led these children to endeavour to restore the fallen fortunes of the father's conquered clan. Usually, the question of tribe was decided by the divinity or divinities named at the severance of the funis umhilicHS. But all the worshippers of Tane, with its numerous modifi- cations, were supposed to form but one tribe. In every case there must be oneness of origin (on the maternal if not on the paternal side), even in cases of adoption. When a great favour — life or land — was sought, it was wonder- ful how close the relationship was made to appear ; but when a grudge had to be paid off, the sins (blood-shedding) of that branch of the clan were alone remembered. Each tribe had its own god or gods,* its own "marae" or "maraes" (groves for worship), its own prayers and incantations, and its own songs. Even in the matter of clothing there were special differences. I have seen a man stripped naked for presuming to wear the garments of another tribe. The meek defence was tliat his grandmother was a member of the said tribe. Thus the will of the individual counted for nothing, or next to nothing, in heathen times. There is one head chief, many subordinate ones. The ofiice and power of chief is usually passed on to the brother, but when all the brothers were dead, would be ti'ansmitted to the eldest born of the eldest male branch of the ruling family (" to kiko mua "). AV^henever this individual vi^as deficient in intellect or courage, the tribal oracle was sure to declare that the god had taken up his abode in another (generally speaking, the youngest male) member of ruling family. This divinely-favoured individual was then duly installed, and the entire tribe compelled to obey, as there could be no appeal from the word of the priest when inspired, for it was the fiat of the gods. On the island of Mangaia " Barima " was not the rei^resentative of the eldest branch of the tribe of Tanc, but he was undoubtedly the fittest man, specially selected, it was averred, out of his family by the god Tane-i-te-ata. *The tribe of N^ariki worshipped Rongo, Ruler of Night, i.e., the invisible world, and Motoro, one of the gods of " Day," or this upper and visible world. 17 Primo<-cniture was the rule, selection by the god the exception. The kingly office miahf descend in the frmah line ; and this of necessity, as the males were so "generally slain. But the male line would invariably be preterred. The duties of a tribal chief were (L) to adjust disputes, (2) to conhrrn or lay aside wills {riva voce wills, of course), (3) to lead in battle (4) to preside at all tribal work or feasting, (5) to provide at all points for the well-being of the clan, and (G) not the least important ot_ a chief s duties was to consult or worship the gods, on his own behalf as chiet and on behalf of the tribe. On Mangaia every high chief must worship Kongo god ot war and ruler of the invisible world. But there would be also lus own private god, who must be duly honoured in the daily concerns of Me. Ihe worship of Kongo was reserved for great occasions, the making of war or peace, the selection of human sacrifices for the ratifacation of all degrees of chieftainship, &c. Summoned by the king, a^ high -priest of ^jongo^ll tribal chiefs were bound to attend, with a few followers, on behalf ot their respective clans. . _ . -i *. The ytate was conceived of as a long dwelling standing east and west ; the chiefs of the southern (right) side of the island represented one side ot it • the chiefs of the northern (left) side of the island represented the other side. The nnder-chiefs everywhere symbolised the lesser rafters ; individuals, the separate leaves of thatch covering. Yet, by a subtle process of thought, the State itself-with its great and its lesser chiefs and its numerous members-was but the visible expression of a spirit-dwcllmg m under-world, in which the maior and minor divinities did not merely live, but actually constituted it ; the major gods being the pillars and mam rafters the mmor gods the lesser rafters, &c., &c. The safety of the State consisted m this- that in the spirit-temple in the nether-world there should be no schism or rent • for should there be one, divisions will immediately arise m the visible state, 2>., in the councils of the great chiefs; the necessary consequences being war and bloodshed. j. ^i . i, 4. The order of descent in regal families was usually from father to son ; but with crreat land or warrior chiefs it was different, the brothers of the deceas^ed taking precedence of his sons, for the excellent reason that it was their strong arms that won or preserved the tribal lanas Ihc kings were sacred men, priests of the great tutelar divinities ; therefore, the representa- tive of the senior branch in each generation was held in the greatest veneration, irrespective of age and sex, as being the visible mouth-piece and shrine of the invisible and immortal gods. But no female was competent to offer " prayers " (karakia), however well versed in them. The elders and wise men of the tribe constituted the tribal council. ihe paramount chief or king must endorse their advice, else it was not law. it was the duty of the presiding chief to ask the opinion of the elders on any ^°5punishment for theft of food, was the destruction of everything edible on the land belonging to the family of the thief, or the taking of the culprits life In general, the former penalty was lor members of the tribe ; the latter for outsiders. In some islands all offences were punislunl with one— the death— penalty. No idea of proportion between an oftence and its punishment existed in the native mind. As a rule, a chief might do any- thing he liked ; not so the members of the tribe. ^. •;■, £ -n Polynesian chiefs were invariably fine men. Makea Daniela, ot Karo- tonga, would have been considered a very tall man, but for his extreme corpulence. He seemed to waddle, not to walk. In his infancy he had (as was usual with the children of high chiefs) three or four wet nurses at the same time. His eldest brother weighed 312 lb., their father nearly o cwt. 18 SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC. lu the Herver G-roup tlie huts Avere iu the form of a rectangle, and made of reeds. The thatch used by the common people was inerelv the plaited leaflets of the cocoanut palm — very pervious to rain. The idol temples and the great dwellings of the chiefs were covered with pandanus-leaf thatch — idol-temples first, dwellings of chiefs afterwards. The doors were always sliding. There was a sacred and a common entrance. Squares were prettily worked in black sennit on the front and back sides of the dwelling. The " tirango," or threshold, was made of a single block of timber, tastefully carved. JVe name our dii-cllinqs because they are enduring ; tkey name the site^ their huts being so perishable. Only the large oi)cn valleys of Mangaia and Atiu were cultivated iu the olden time, but at Rarotonga a considerable portion of that narrow strip of rich soil, near the sea, was well planted. The weeding spade of Mangaia was not unlike a club in shape, and was made of iron-wood (Casuarina equisetifolici)'. The length wa^ 5 feet 9 inches. Indeed, it was a most formidable weapon at close quarters, as many an unfor- tunate has found to his cost. The staff of life on Mangaia and Atiu is the " taro "* plant ; on Aitutaki, the sv\'eet potato ; on Karotonga, bread-fruit and plaintains ; on Mitiaro, &c., &c., coco-nut. In most of the islands a vast quantity of fish is eaten as soon as it is captured. On Manihiki the natives subsist on coco-nut and fish : on the sister island of Eakaanga they have in addition a good supply of "puraka," i.e., a coarse species of Caladium. On most of the atolls the inhabitants live contentedly on coco-nut and fish only. Food is abundant throughout the Ilervey Group except when a cyclone has wrought its desolation, or continuous rain has flooded the valleys where " taro" is cultivated. About two days' v/ork in a week will keep a plantation in good order. On atolls, like Manihiki, where only the coco-nut palm flourishes, no weeding or planting can be done, as the soil consists of sand and gravel thrown up by the ocean on the ever-growing coral. Hence it is that the natives of these atolls are such excellent fishermen, having little else to do. The usual time for the one real meal of the day in the Hervey Group is at sunset. The richer natives have a warm meal about 10 a,.m., but in general they cook enough at sunset to last for the morning's repast. Throughout Polynesia the mode of cooking is similar. A circular hole, 2 feet or 3 feet in diameter, is dug in the ground, the centi'e being deeper than any other part. Pirewood is split and piled up in the hole. Basaltic stones are now laid on the firewood just before it was lighted. AV^hen the fire had burnt out, and the red-hot stones fallen to the bottom amongst the glowing ashes, the}' are carefully arranged by means of a hooked green stick, of a sort that will not easily burn. A large bundle of succulent leaves are now thrown upon the hot stones, occasioning a dense cloud of steam to arise. On this the well-scraped " taro," split bread-fruits, sweet potatoes, or plantains are placed. Pish are invariably wrapped up in the leaves of the Cordj/line terminalis, so that their juices may be retained. The oven is now covered iu with a second bundle of fresh-plucked leaves. The dry leaves of yesterday are thrown on the top, and the whole pressed down by heavy stories kept for the purpose. Iu fine weather this steaming-ovcn was made in the open air, in rainy weather under shelter. In heathen times it was customary at Mangaia and some other islands to slay all strangers. At Karotonga, if a stranger landed in sight of one of * Caladium petiolatitm. 19 their kings his life was safe ; but even then it was not quite wise to travel any distance in the bush without the chief. But in these days the stranger is fairly well treated, often far better than he desen'cs. lie shares the good things going and remains as long as he likes. It is usual, on meeting another, to share whatever food may be in the hand or in tlie basket. The influx of visitors is rapidly producing a change in their customs ; still, I think an unprejudiced observer must admit that the stranger is better cared for in Christian Polynesia than in Christian Britain. The generous man is the ideal good man yet. • Ear ornaments were universal. The shell of a species of coco-nut pro- ducing small, long nuts — their ends rubbed off" on madrepore coral — were tilled with fragrant flowers and leaves, and worn in the slit lobes of the ears of persons (males) of distinction. The lobes were marvellously distended by this practice. The arms of warriors — between the elbow and the shoulder — were tattooed black only, so that, on dance nights, the beautiful white (Oviila ovum, Linn.) shell fastened across with sennit might be the more admired. Happy Avas the dancer who had a shell for hotli arms. Just above the ankles finely-plaited hair was wound repeatedly, the amount indicating the rank and wealth of the wearer. So, too, with the wrists and neck. From the plaited hair on the neck of a chief was suspended a large pearl shell, or, in lieu of this coveted ornament, a piece of " miro " wood {Tkespes/'a populnea), adzed into its shape. This plaited hair was called '• manoa" ; the breast ornament, "tia." The ears of children were pierced with fish-bone, then enlarged with a twig of the gardenia, so as to admit a fresh-plucked flower (the scarlet Hibiscus or the Gardenia). The women had to be content with Tiocklaces and chaplets of flowers, but a favourite daughter might wear plaited hair round her neck. Of course, in each ear a flov.-er was worn, and on her bosom a woman of rank might wear a '" miro " ornament. Men emulated the other sex in regard to wreaths and necklaces, the latter often descending nearly to the knee. It is noteworthy that the septum of the nose was never pierced by the Hervey Islanders, as nasal ornaments were never in vogue in that part of the Pacific. The Hervey Islanders were a clothed race. The inner bark of the paper- mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifcra) yielded them the material for their " tikoru." Poorer natives were content to use the inner bark of the " aoa," or banyan tree. On Earotonga, Aitutaki, and Mauke the inner bark of the bread-fruit tree yielded a light and beautiful garment. Even the JEntada scandcns was utilised by the poor for the manufacture of clothing. The defect of native garments is their inability to keep out moisture. To remedy this, on Mangaia, the outside was sometimes anointed with scented coco-nut oil. The varieties of native dresses, with their distinctive names, were very numerous. A native woman, in her own dwelling, wears a single garment — a petticoat. In the cold season she throws a "tiputa" over her shoulders. A man at work in the olden time, i.e.., when weeding, canoe-making, or fishing, wore only a girdle (maro). Travelling through the rain he was content with a girdle, but on arriving at his hut ho would put on old warm clothing. A good covering of native cloth is (as I know from experience) as warm as a blanket. An unmarried girl wore her petticoat nearly to the knee ; when married, it was brought down just below the knee. In sitting, the Hervey Island females rested upon their heels, not, as in these days, tailor fashion. This latter indelicate custom was imported from Tahiti in recent times. 20 Spealcing generally, it may be confidently stated that tlie natives are a well-nourished race. But in the old fighting days, when so small a portion of the soil was cultivated, it was hardly so. The chiefs and all the ruling race were indeed well nourished, but the "ao," or serfs, had sorry times of it. The frequent famines of those days were terrible. I have known natives who kept themselves alive on candle-nuts alone for months together ; but they were wretched objects to look at. It is curious that a starved race becomes black almost, but if plenty returns, their natural, agreeable, coffee- colour is restored. In atolls, to the north-west of the Hervey Group and the Line Islands, the natives subsist chiefly on coco-nut, pandanus drupes, and fish. Should any accident {e.g., if the leaflets are devoured by a plague o^ Lopaj)lius coccophagus, or a cyclone, or if the ci'owns are sprinkled by ocean spray) occur to the coco-nut palm, it is frightful to see the wasted forms of the islanders. But even on the most fertile islands, after a cyclone, the sufferings of the natives are great. Happily, now, there are so many introduced plants, as well as imported food, that the natives do not perish of sheer starvation as in the days of heathenism. I have known entire families to subsist on the crown of a felled coco-nut, with what fish they could catch. The salutation of the Hervey Islanders was the very reverse of our own. AVe bow to our friends ; they toss the head upwards, at the same time elevating the eyebrows. Their great national amusement was tlie dance. In this singular per- formance the joints seem to be loose. I do not believe it possible for any Europeaii to move the limbs as a Polynesian loves to do. At a very early age mothers carefully oil the hands, &c., and then knead the tiny limbs, stretching and "cracking" each joint. Respecting the moralit;/ of their dances, the less said the better ; but the " upaupa " dance, introduced from Tahiti, is obscene indeed. WIZARDS. Priests ex-ojficio dealt with the gods and the invisible world. It was for them alone to approach the deities on behalf of the state, clan, or chiefs, i.e., to chaunt Icarahia (prayers) at the " marae " * and present offerings. If E-ongo were the divinity to be propitiated, a hiiman sacrifice specially selected must be offered. To all other gods offerings of fish and " tare," &c., with the indispensable bowl of fiper methysticum, were presented from time to time. No worshipper dared go empty-handed to his priest to inquire the will of the gods. The value of the gift must be proportioned to his rank and means. The load might be carried by male slaves to the outskirts of the " marae," but the offerer had a place allotted to hin^ within the sacred precincts. The priest, or " god-box," clothed in whitef tikoru, at a little distance, alone, in the most sacred place, went through the needful prayers. In a case of sickness the deity would be asked about the fate of his devoted worshipper. At Mangaia the favourable response would be couched in these terms — "The spirit will go to the sun-rising" (ka acre ki te ra iti), i.e., the sick will recover. Por the spirit to descend with the sun-god Ea into the nether, or invisible, world is death. If the sufferer must die, a diff"erent metaphor was employed by the priest — " kua rau-ti para " — " The leaf of the // tree {Cordijlinc terminalisi) is sere," i.e., will drop off and perish. The office of priest was hereditary throughout the Plervey Group. "When a new priest was installed, he first bathed in the sacred stream of his tribe, * Idol jjrovu. t Off duty, the priest niijjht wear a yellow " tiputa " over his shoulders. 21 put on the white tlTcoru, ate only certain kinds of food, and abstained from many things permitted to others. On the day of instalhition of the priest of Rongo the temporal chief accompanied him to the "marae" — not too closely following him. Offerings of food having been deposited at the iisnal spot, cooked " taro " and the invariable bowl of "kava" having been disposed of by the new priest-king, the temporal chief shouted " Ka uru Kongo "—'• Let Eongo enter" {i.e., inspire). The new high-priest, seated on a sacred stone,* then fell into convulsions, and spake in a most unearthly voice (? ventriloquism), the words so uttered being accepted as a divine oracle ! Thus did the temporal sovereign install the new priest-king (j,.e., spiritual ruler). A grand feast would follow. Less of ceremony was observed with priests of divinities of inferior rank, but substantially the same process was carried out. The technical phrase for this was " Va'i i te pia atua ou" = " open up the new god-box." On the eve of an important battle " the omens were taken " (ka pa to vai) by the warrior chief himself. These omens consisted in the drowning of insects, &c., in water, or a fish hunt in the reef. (See my " Savage Life," page 104). The native phrase, " Ka pa to vai," means lil erally, " enclose the water," because in taking the omens by the drowning of insects, &c., it was customary to arrange the cut stems of a banana in a square on the ground. A single leaf of the Alocasia Indira (Seeman), holding half a bucket of water, was deposited in the hollow, the water being kept from spilling by the cut banana stems. A number of centipedes, green lizards, and dragon-flies were now dashed into the water. The total of creatures drowned prefigured the number of warriors doomed to perish in to-morrow's battle. There was a special prayer (now lost) for this ceremony. ^oxaethwQ?, t^\o »\\q\\& {Turho petlioJatus), intended to represent the two hostile camps, were deposited by the warrior chief on his own " marae," with an appropriate prayer, in the dusk of evening. On returning at daylight, it is averred that Moke found rhe shell representing his foes turned upside down, a sure omen of their destruction, which accordingly took place. On most of the eastern Pacific Islands were " wise women," who were consulted respecting the minor affairs of daily life. These women were supposed to be inspired by a female divinity. A small present must be made ere consulting the priestess. On Mangaia the goddess Euatamaine was consulted to discover a thief, and to secure success ui fishing. There were numberless Euaatu, or fishermen gods (of stone) in all the islands, each demanding an offering of a newly-caught fish from its votaries, or, in default of that, a hollow pebble to be strung into a sort of neciclace, or the midrib of a cocoanut leaf, and thrown into the darkness, with these words, " Here is thy share, O Euaatu !" The native name for sorcerer is " tangata purepure," i.e., " a man who prays." A heathen only prays for the ill-luck or death of his foes. The prayers offered by the priests to the gods worshipped on the national or tribal "maraes" were termed ^^ /cara/iin' ; those on minor occasions to the lesser gods were named "p»?'e."t All these prayers were metrical,J and were handed down from generation to generation with the utmost care. There were " prayers " for every phase of savage life ; for success in battle ; for a change of wind (to overwhelm an adversary fishing solitarily in his canoe, or that an intended voyage of his own may be propitious) ; that coco-nuts, yams, &c., &c., may grow ; that a thieving or murder expedition may be successful; that his hook or net may catch plenty offish ; that his kite may • Te koatu karakia=the stone for praj-inj,'. t In New Zealand " kara'kia." J Hence approjiriately termed by us incantations. fly liiglier than all others ; that his" teka" (reed) may outstrip the rest ; that strong teeth may take the place of his child's first tooth when extracted, &e., *fec. A great secret was the prayer at the excision of the/)/;?/.? umhi/icits, that the boy might be brave, or that the girl might in after-life be fruitful. Tew men of middle age were without a number of these prayers or charms. They were usually uttered in too low a laiy to be heard by a stranger, lest he, too, should thus be armed Avith a dangerous weapon of offence. If a plantation were to be robbed, the appropriate prayer or charm must be uttered near to it, so that it might have its full effect. If a man were to be clubbed in his sleep, the prayer must not be used until the hut is in sight. Important charms or" prayers" suchas these were to grown-up sons part of the equipment of life. In most cases, one or two would never be divulged until there was a premonition of death in sickness or battle. A man felt that if his last bit of "wisdom" were "reeled off" (to use a native parable), die he must. Payment to the sorcerer consisted in a couple of pieces of native cloth, or lish and "tare," &c. The succession was from father to son, or from uncle to nephew. So, too, of sorceresses ; it would be from mother to daughter or from aunt to niece. Sorcerers and sorceresses were often slain by the relatives of their supposed victims. A singular enchantment was employed to kill off the husband of a pretty woman desii-ed by someone else. The expanded flower of a Gnrd^niff vras stuck upright — a very difficult performance — in a cup {i.r., half a large coco-nut shell) of water. A "prayer" was then offered for the husband's speedy death, the sorcerer earnestly watching the flower. Should it fall, the incantation was successful. But if the flower still remained upright, he will live. The sorcerer would in that case try his skill another day, with perhaps better i*uccess. Old natives assert that these enchantments, if persevered in, never failed ; but that since the prevalence of Christianity they have all become impotent. Indeed, the " prayers " themselves are happily lost. In adzing a canoe, it was the duty of the chief taunga (artisan-priest) to chant an extempore never-ending song, which the other workmen took up. The song gave precision-and unity to the stroke of their stone adzf s, added to their cheerfulness, and was believed to be supernatural ly efficacious in helping on the work to its completion. As the taunga would be sure to be associated with the same set of helpers, the assistants knew pretty well what was being chanted. This sort of thing was called a " pataratara"— " a talking," of which I retain two written but untranslated specimens. Origi- nally it was an address to the tree-spirit not to be angry at their adzing the noble trunk, with an invocation to the axe fairy, liuateatonga, to aid the progress of the work. Taraaere, the last priest of Tangaroa (who had often offered human sacri- fices to the tutelar god of Rarotoiiga), when nearly ninety years of age, said to me : — "My father taught me how to retain wisdom (korero). He also told me when to marry. He did not feed me with bananas, plantains, and fish, lest, the food being light and slippery, wisdom should slip away from me. 'No ! he fed me with ' tare,' well beaten with a pestle, and mixed with cooked ' tare '- leaves, the glutinous nature of the ' taro' being favourable to the retention of wisdom." This was uttered without a smile, in the full belief that this simple diet of his youth and eai'ly manhood accounted for the marvellous memory which he possessed to the very cud of life. He assured me that it was thus the priests of the olden days were brought up. 23 DEATH. No one was believed to die a strictly natural deatli unless extreme old age was attained. Xineteen out of every twenty were regarded as victims of special divine anger or of the incantations of the " praying people" (Taugata purepure) i.e., the sorcerers. Causes of death were : — 1. Infringement of /a;?wlaws of all kinds. 2. An uttered resolve broken ; e.f/., preparation for battle upon the receipt o\' false intelligence. The trick may be seen throutjh after a time, still the fight must at all risks come otf, if once the war-girdle has been put on. Xot only would shame attend the withdrawing w^arriors, but the s])ecial wrath of the war-god would rest upon them. So that there is nothing for it but tight at all risks. A journey prepared for, but not carried out. Many years ago it was "intended that the writer should remove to Earotonga to take charge of the mission there. Everything was ready, when a brother from 3']ngland arrived for that station. It so happened that just after- wards I lost two sons in one week of diphtheria. I was astounded to find that the natives of Mangaia, while sympathising with my loss, attributed the sad blow to my failure to carry out my original purpose. 3. A grave dug for a corpse, but not occupied. At the last moment perhaps the owner of the soil objects to the burial, so the corpse is disposed of elsewhere. In that case, the natives firmly believe that someone else must die in order to occupy the empty grave. 4. Unusual luxuriance of growth of plantations of food. The saying is, " E mou Avaiki teua," i.e., " it is also a crop for spirit-land " (portendsa crop for the reaper Death, as zt't' perhaps would phrase it.) The bodies of deceased friends were anointed with scented oil, carefully wrapped up in a number of pieces of cloth, and the same day committed to their last resting-place. A few wei'e buried in the earth within the sacred precincts of the appropriate "marae;" but by far the greater number were hidden in caves regarded as the special property of certain families. If a body were buried in the earth, the face was invariably laid downwards, chin and knees meeting, and the limbs well secured with strongest sinnet cord. A thin covering of earth was laid over the corpse, and large heavy stones piled over the grave. The intention was to render it impossible for the dead to rise up and injure the living ! The head of the buried corpse was always turned to the rising tiun, in accordance with their ancient solar worship. It was customary to bury with the dead some article of A'alue — a female would have a cloth-mallet laid by her side ; whilst her husband would enjoin his friends to bury with him a favourite stone adze, or a beautiful white shell (Ovida oviivi, Linn.) worn by him in the dance. Such articles Avere never touched afterwards by the living. Numbers were buried in caves easily accessible, to enable the relatives to visit the remains of the dearly-loved lost ones from time to time. The corpse was occasionally exposed to the sun, re-anointed with oil, and then Avrapped in fresh tiJconi (white native cloth). The dead were never disembowelled for the purpose of embalming. The corpse was simply desiccated, and daily anointed with coco-nut oil. A month would suffice for this. Warriors were in general hid by their surviving friends, through fear of their being disinterred and burnt in revence. 24 The people of the entire district where the deceased lived take up " taro " and prepare a feast in honour of the dead. A grand interchange of presents is usual on these occasions ; but, excepting the near relatives of the deceased, no one is really the worse for it, as it is etiquette to see that distant relatives get back similar articles to what they brought. Whatever is laid upon the corpse is buried with it, and no further notice taken of it ; but whatever is jilaced by the side, without touching it, is repaid. The moment the sick died, the bodies of near relatives were cut with sharks' teeth, so that the blood might streana down the bodies ; their faces Avere blackened, and the hair cut off. At Rarotonga it was usual to knock out some of the front teeth in token of sorrow. Everywhere the moment of death was the signal for the death-wail to commence. The most aflfecting things are said on such occasions, but always in a set form, commencing thus: — ■ "Aue ton e! Aue! Aue ! " — Alas for us! Alas! Alas! &c. The wallers usually lose their voices for several days, and their eyes are frightfully swollen with crying. As soon as the corpse was committed toicslast resting-place, the mourners selected five old coco-nuts, Avhich were successively opened, and the water poured out i;pon the ground. These nuts were then wrapped up in leaves and native cloth, and thrown towards the grave ; or, if the corpse were let down with cords into the deep chasm of " Auraka," the nuts and other food would be successively thrown down upon it. Calling loudly each time the name of the departed, they said, " Here is thy food ; eat it." AVhen the fiith nut and the accompanying " raroi," or pudding, were thrown down, the mourners said, " Parewell ! we come back no more to thee." A death in the family is the signal for a change of names amongst the near relatives of the deceased. Chiefs and priests occasionally receive the honour of a " spirit-burial," the corpse being borne to the most renowned "marae" of his tribe on the island, and allowed to remain within the sacred enclosure for some hours, but the same day hidden away in the tribal cave. In such cases the depositing of the body in the "marae" was " the burial," or the committal of the spirit to the care of the god worshipped in life, whilst the letting down of the corpse into the deep chasm was designated "• the throwing away of the bones " (tiriiKja ivi), the Avell-wrapped-up body being regarded as a mere bundle of bones after the exit of the spirit. In the olden times, relatives of the deceased wore only " pakoko," or native cloth, dyed red in the sap of the candle-nut tree, and then dipped in the black mud of a taro-patch. The very offensive smell of this mourning garment was symbolical of the putrescent state of the dead. Their heads were encircled with chaplets of mountain fern, singed with fire to give it a red appearance. The etH/, or dirge, and the mourning dance succeeded. Of this dirge, four varieties are known. They invariably took jdace by day, occupying from ten to fifteen days, according to the rank of the deceased. Sometimes a " death- talk " was preferied, consisting of sixty songs in honour of the dead, mourn- fully chanted at night in a large house built lor the purpose, and well lighted with torches. Each adult male relative recited a song. A feast was the inevitable Jinale. Each island of the Hervey Group had some variety of custom in relation to the dead. Perhaps the chiefs of Atiu were the most outrageous in mourning. I knew one to mourn for seven years for an only child (a woman), living all that time in a hut in the vicinity of the grave, and allowing his hair and nails to grow, and his body to remain unwashed. This was the wonder of all the islanders. In general, all mourning ceremonies were over in a year. 25 SPIRIT WORLD. Spirit-land proper is underneath, where the sun god Ua reposes wlicn his daily task is done. It is variously termed Po (Night), Avaiki, Hawai'i, Hawaiki, or home of the ancestors. Still, all warrior spirits, i.e., those who have died a A-iolcnt death, are said to ascend to their happy homes in the ten heavens above. Popularlj/, death in any form is referred to as " going into night," in contrast with day (ao), i.e., life. Above and beneath aro numerous countries and a variety of inhabitants — invisible to mortal eye ; but these are but a facsimile of what we see around us now. The Samoan heaven was designated Pulotu or Purotu, and was supposed to be under the sea. The ]\Iangaian warrior hoped to " leap into the expanse," "to dance the warrior's dance in Tairi " (above), "to inhabit Speck-land (Poepoe) " in perfect happiness. The Rarotongan warrior looked forward to a place in the house of Tiki, in which are assembled the brave of past ages, who spend their time in eating, drinking, dancing, or sleeping. The Aitutakian brave went to a good land (Iva) under the guardianship of the benevolent Tukaitaua, to chew sugar-cane for ever with uncloyed appetite. Tahitians had an elysium named " Miru." Society Islanders looked forward to " Eohutu noanoa," i.e., " sweet-scented Eohutu," full of fruit and flowers. At Mangaiathe spirits of those who ignobly " died on a pillow "* wandered about disconsolately over the rocks near the margin of the ocean, until the day appointed by their leader comes (once a year), when they follow the sun-god Ea over the ocean, and descend in his train to under-world. As a rule, these ghosts were well disposed to their own living relatives ; but often became vindictive if a pet child was ill-treated by a step-mother or other relatives, &c. But the esoteric teaching of the priests ran thus : — Unhappyt ghosts travel over the pointed rocks round the island until they reach the extreme edge of the cliff facing the setting sun, when a large wave approaches to the base, and at the same moment a gigantic "bua" tree (^Far/roea Berteriana), covered with fragrant blossoms, springs up from Avaiki to receive these disconsolate human spirits. Even at this last moment, with feet almost touching the fatal tree, a friendly voice may send the sjjirit-traveller back to life and health. Otherwise, he is mysteriously impelled to climb the particular branch reserved for his own tribe, and conveniently brought nearest to him. Immediately the human soul is safely lodged upon this gigantic " bua," the deceitful tree goes down with its lifting burden to nether world. Akaanga and his assistants catch the luck- less ghost in a net, half drown it in a lake of fresh water, and then usher it into the presence of dread Miru, mistress of the nether world, where it is made to drink of her intoxicating bowl. The drunken ghost is borne off to the ever-burning oven, cooked, and devoured by Miru, her son, and four peerless daughters. The refuse is thrown to her servants, Akaanga and others. So that, at Mangaia, the end of the coward was annihilation. At Earotongathe luckless spirit traveller who had no present for Tiki was compelled to stay outside the house where the brave of past ages are assembled, in rain and darkness for ever, shivering with cold and hunger. Another view is, that the grand rendezvous of ghosts was on a ridge of rocks facing the setting sun. One tribe *>kirted the sea margin until it reached the fatal spot. Another (the tribe of Tangiia, on the eastern part of Rarotonga), traversed the mountain range forming the backbone of the island until the same point of departure was attained. IMembcrs of the former tribe clambered on an ancient " bua " tree (still standing). Should the branch * I te urunga piro, i.e., a natural death. t Because they had the misfortune " to die on a pillow," and because they had to leave their old pleasant haunts and homes. / 26 diauce to break, the ghost is immediately caught in the net of " Muru." But it sometimes happens that a lively ghost tears the meshes and escapes for a while, passing on by a resistless inward impulse towards the outer edge of the reef, in the hope of traversing the ocean. But in a straight line from the shore is a round hollow, where Akaanga's net is concealed. In this the very few who escape out of the hands of Muru are caught without fail. The delighted demons (taae) take the captive ghost out of the net, dash his brains out on the sharp coral, and carry him off in triumph to the shades to eat. For the tribe of Taugiia an iron-wood tree was reserved. The ghosts that trod on the green branches of this tree came back to life, whilst those who liad the misfortune to crawl on the dead branches were at once caught in the net of Muru or Akaanga, brained, cooked and devoured ! Grhosts of cowards, and those who were impious at Aitutaki, were doomed likewise to furnish a feast to the inexpressibly ugly Miru* and her followers. Evidently the ancient faith of the Hervey Islanders was substantially the same. Nor did it materially differ from that of the Tahitian and Society Islanders, the variations being such as we might expect when portions of the «ame great family had been separated from each other for ages. There is no trace in the Eastern Pacific of the doctrine of transmigration of human souls, although the spirits of the dead are fabled to have assumed, temporarily, and for a specific purpose, the form of an insect, bird, fish, or cloud. But gods, specially the spirits of deified men, were believed per- manently to reside in, or to be incarnate in, sharks, sw^ord-fish, &c., eels, the octopus, the yellow and black-spotted lizards, several kinds of birds and insects. The Ir/nis fatuus, opportune mists concealing a victim, imagined balls of fire guiding the fleeing or killing party, were all the working of their gods for the destruction, safety, or guidance of mortals. In sleep, the spirit was supposed to leave the body and travel over the island, to hold converse with the dead, and even to visit spirit-world. Hence, the dreams of mortals. Some of the most important events in their national history were determined by dreams. The place in which the placenta (enua) of an infant is buried is called the " ipukarea," or natal soil ; and it was believed that, after death, spirits of adults, as well as children, hover about the neighbourhood, MYTHOLOGY. Strictly speaking, the Ilervcy Islanders had no conception of a creator, as the islands were believed to be dragged up out of the depths of Avaiki, or Nether-World, otherwise called Po, or Night. These islands are merely the gross outward form, or body ; whilst their still remains behind in the obscurity of Nether-AVorld the ethereal essence or spirit. The primary conception of the Ilervcy Islanders as to existence is a point; then something ^JifZsrt/zny; next, something greater — everlasfinff. The universe is to be conceived of as the hollow of a vast coco-nut shell, the interior of which is named Avaiki. At the very bottom of this supposed coco-nut shell is a thick stem, gradually tapering to a point, which repre- sents the very beginning of all things. This point is a spirit named T/ie- roof-of-all-cxistence. Above this extreme point is another demon, named Breathinfj^ or Life, stouter and sti'onger than the former one. The thi(;kest part of the stem is The-long-lived. These three stationary, sentient spirits constitute the foundation, and insure the permanence and well-being of all the rest of the univer.se. * The goddess Miru of Mangaia and Aitutaki is the Muru of Rarotonga. In the interior of the supposed coco-nut sliell, in thelowest depths of Avaiki, lives a woman, or demon, of ilesli and l)lood, named Vari-ma-te-takere (shortened into \vix\)—The-verrj-hcfiinninfj. At various times A an plucked off three bits from each side, and moulded them into human shape. These six are the primary sods of the universe. Yet no " marae " or nnage was CA-er sacred to them, nor was any offering ever made to them. The first of the six primary gods is Avatea or Yatea (Noon), half man and half fish, whose eves are the sun and moon.* Evidently we have in ■Vvatea or Yatea, the god of lisrht. The second primary god is Tnurau (InTiuinerable).tlie lord of all fish. The third is Tango (Support). The fourth is Echo (Tumuteanaoa), regarded as a female dwelling in hollow rocks. The fifth, Eaka, or Trouble, presides over winds. At the edge of the horizon are a number of wind-holes. To each child is allotted one of these apertures, through which he blows at pleasure. The sixth and last of the primary gods is a female, Tu-metua, or Tu-papa, who dwells with the Great Mother, " Yari." at the very bottom of Avaiki, in the Silenf-Und, the only lauf^uage of which is that of signs and smiles, to comfort her. Tu+ (short for Tu-mctua or Tu-papa) was the tutelar goddess of the island of Moorca. To her the fourteenth night in every moon was sacred. In his dreams, Yutea, the eldest of the primary gods, saw a woman, Papa (Foundation), whom he afterwards succeeded in making his wife, ^ow Papa was the dauc^hter of Timutekore (Nothing-more). Tangaroa and 'Ronc^oX were the twin children of Yatea and Papa. They were the first beings of perfect human form in the universe, and possessed no second shape. Thre'c other sons (Tonga-iti, Tangiia, and Tane-papa-kai) were born to Yatea and Papa. These are the principal deities of the Hervey Islanders and (and with numerous variations and additions) of Eastern Polynesia. _ To the children of Yatea and Papa belong the maraes and idols ; they received the offerings and listened to the prayers of mankind. The tutelar god of Mangaia is Eongo, whose wife Trdca bore him a daughter named^Tavake. The boast of the three original tribes on Mangaia is that they are the descendants of TaA-ake by her own father Eongo, i.e., that thev are of divine origin. Now, "Eongo was likewise the dread deity of Tahiti and the Leevrard Islands', under the slightlv modified designation of. " OrO." The original marae of " Ord" in Eastern Polynesia was Opoa, on the island of Eaiatea, whence the worship spread to all the neighbouring islands. At the shrine of this deity, on the island of Tahiti alone, fifty reeking heads were offered in a single generation. To Eongo, OrH, Eono, or Orono (as he is variously named), no offering was acceptable but a bleeding human sacrifice, specially selected, males being always preferred to females. At Tahiti females were ineligible, being regarded as "noa" (common); whereas males where "tapu" (sacred), and therefore suitable for sacrifice. Tangaroa was speciallv honoured at Earotonga, Aitutaki, Samoa,, and the Society Islands. In the" Tahitian and Society Groups, Ta'aroa was regarded as the originator of the world, and the parent of gods and men. At Samoa, Tangaloa was regarded as the great creator. The gods were divided into two orders, "dwellers in day," and "dwellers in the shades, or night." The former busied themselves with the affairs of * The moon is the fish-eve, on account of its paleness. t When Captain Cock, for the second time, visited Tahiti, he found the king to be " 0*»j';' ''"';^*2rh?' the present Pomarc. " Oloo " should he written Tu. the O benig a mere prefix to all f^Pf "* "«^\ J^* mytholo-iral name was adopted in order to secure for its owner the reverence due to the gods, who are invisible to mortal eye. { In the Society Islands " OrO " (Rotnir]©) was the son of Ta'aroa (Tangaroa) not his twm brother. 28 mortals, moving, tLougli unseen, in tlieir midst ; and yet often descending to Nether-World, the true home of the major-gods. The latter frequently ascend to-day to take part in the affairs of mankind, but prefer to dwell in spirit- land (night). A few were supposed to remain permanently in the obscurity of Avaiki. Many of the deities worshipped in the Hervey Grroup and other islands of the Eastern Pacific were canonised priests, kings, and warriors, whose spirits were supposed to enter into various birds, fish, reptiles, insects, &c., &c Strangely enough, they were regarded as being in no respect inferior to the original divinities. The gods first spake to man through the small land birds; but their utter- ances proved to be too indistinct to guide the actions of mankind. The gods were thus led to communicate with mankind through the medium of a human priesthood. "Whenever the priest was consulted, a present of the best food, accompanied by a bowl of intoxicating "piper methysticum," was indispens- able. The offerer, in a stentorian voice, said, "Ka uru Motoro" — Enter (i.e., inspire), Motoro!* At these words the priest would fall into convul- sions, the god Motoro having inspired (literally, "entered") him, and the oracle would be delivered. Erom the oracle thus delivered no appeal whatever lay. The best kinds of food were sacred to the priests and chiefs. Although uusuited for the delivery of oracles, birds were ever the special messengers of the gods to warn individuals of impending danger, each tribe having its own feathered guardians. The great Polynesian word (Atua) for "Grod" means strictly the joith core, or life of mail. This is evident from its constant equivalent, " ara io," shortened sometimes into " io," which literally signifies " pathway of the pith," or " jnth." What the pith is to the tree, the god is to the man, i.e., its life. The greater gods alone had carved images for the convenience of wor- shippers ; the lesser were countless, each individual possessing several. PHILOLOGY. A list of numerals and pronouns in the language, with suggestions as to their etymology : — Numerals. 1 ... ... ... Okotai, tai 2 Rua. 3 Toru 4 'Xl 5 ... ... ... Eima. 6 Ono. 7 Itu. 8 Varu. 9 Ira. 10 ... ... ... Ngauru. 11 ... ... ... Ngauru ma tai (lO-f-l). 12 Ngauru ma rua (10-f 2), &c. 20 Rua ngauru (2-}-10). 21 ... ... ... Rua ngauru ma tai (2-f 10-f 1). ... Rua ngauru ma rua (2-|-10-f 2), &c., «>o 100 ... ... ... Anere (^.e., from the English "hundred") &c. * Or whatever may be tlie name of the worshipper's deity. 29 111 the Hcrvey Group we have two distinct bases of numeration — four and ten. The former base is used in counting coco-nuts, which wci'e from time immemorial tied up in four (kaviri). 5 Bunches (kaviri) of coco-nuts make one Tiikau, i.e., 20 10 Takau „ „ Eau 200 10 Eau „ „ Mano 2,000 10 Mano „ „ Kiu 20,000 10 Xiu „ „ Tini 200,000 All beyond this is uncertain. Peonouns. 1. — Personal. First person ... .. Au ... ... Maua ... Matou First person, including the second ... ... Taua ... Tatou Second person ... ... Koe ... ... Korua ... Kotou Third person ... ... Aia, ia ... ... Eaua ... Eatou Of the dual and plural pronouns of the first person, " taua " and " tatou " include the person or persons spoken to, while " maua " and " matou " exclude them. 2. — Relative. Tei and nona, nana. " Tei " is used only in the past tense, and becomes" to " in the future, and is generally accompanied with " ka." First person singular Third person singular First person plural 3. — Adjective. Toku, taku Tona, tana To matou, ta matou, &c. Koai Teiea Eaa Teea 4. — Interrogative. Koai and teica are declinable. Who Where What Which 5. — Demonstrative. Singular Plural Teia Teianei Tena • Tera . Eia Eianei Ena -Era This This here That (near the person spoken to) That (at a distance) These These here Those (near the person spoken to) That (at a distance) 6. — Indefinite. Etai, tokotai ... ... ... ... Some, few Paradigm of the conjugation and declension of the verb " to go " and of thevci'b"to kill," with a pronominal object : — Acre Go 30 Indicative 3Iood. Singular. Dual. Plural. Pres. — Te aere nei au ... Te aere nei maua ... Te aere nei matou, &c., &c. Past — I aere aua au ... I aere ana maua ... I aere ana matou, &c., &c. Put. — Ka aere au ... ... Ka aere maua .. . ... Ka aere matou, &c., &c. Imperative. Ka aere koe, &c. Subjunctive or Conditional Mood. Present — Me aere au, &c. Past — Naringa au i aere. Future— 'SAo^ aere au. Infinitive, E aere. Participle. Aere anga. Ta Strike, kill* Indicative Mood. Singular. Dual. Plural. Pres. — Te ta nei au, &c.... Te ta nei taua, &c. ... Te ta nei tatou, &e. Past — I ta ana au, &c. ... I ta ana taua, &c. ... I ta ana tatou, &c. Fut. — Kataau, &c. ... Ka ta taua, &c. . . . ... Iva ta tatou, &c. Imperative. Ea ta koc. Suhjunctive or Conditional Mood. Present — Me ta au, &c. Past — Xaringa au i ta, &.c. Future — Kia ta au, &c. Infinitive. ■ ■ E ta. Participle. Ta anga. Indicative Mood {Passive Toice). Singular. Dual. Plural. Pres. — Te taia nei au, &c....Te taia nei taua, &.c. Te taia nei tatou, &c. Past — I taia na au, &c. ...I taia na taua, &c..., I taia na tatou, &c. Fut. — Ka taiaau, &c. ...Ka taia taua, &c. ... Ka taia tatou, urney, and present the precious calabash to her parents and brothers, " for there is wondrous virtue in it." He told her that it w-ould grow into a coco-nut tree, and would bear a delicious fruit never before seen. He enjoined her on no account to turn aside from the path, nor to bathe in any tempting fountain, nor to sit down, nor to sleep on the road, and above all not to put down the calabash. Uta gladly started on her journey. For a while all went well, but, at length, the sun being high in the heavens, she became very hot and weary. Perceiving a crystal stream, she forgot her promise to her husband, put down the calabash, and leapt into the inviting waters. After disporting herself for some time in the cool stream, she cast a glance at the calabash, but, lo ! it had sprouted — the eel's head had become a young tree with strange leaves ! Grieved at her own folly, she ran to the bank and strove with all her might to pull it up, but could not, for its roots had struck deep. Uta wept long and bitterly. Perplexed now what to do, with joy she perceived a little messenger-bird from her husband directing her to return. She went back to the king with shame and fear, and related to him all that had befallen her. Tai sadly said to her, " Go to the stream into which you east the body of the eel, whose head was placed in the calabash ; find the wriggline tail, and destroy it by beating it with a stick, then come back and tell me." Uta did as she was desired ; but as soon as she entered their dwelling her husband expired in expiation of her sin. RATA'S CANOE.— A Legend from Aitutaki. In the fairy land of Kupolu* lived the renowned chief Rata, who resolved to build a great double canoe, with a view of exploring other lands. Shouldering his axe, he started off to a distant valley where the finest timber grew. Close to the mountain stream stood a fragrant pandanus tree, where a deadly combat w^as going on between a beautiful white heron and a spotted sea-serpent. The origin of the quarrel "vwas as follows : — The heron was accustomed, when wearied with its search after fish, to rest itself on a stone rising just above the waters of the coral reef, and chanced to defile the eyes of a monstrous sea-serpent whose hole was just beneath. The serpent, greatly enraged at this insult, resolved to be revenged. Eaising its head as far as possible out of the water, it carefully observed the flight of the white heron and followed in pursuit. Leaving the salt water of the ■• This is the " Upolu " of the Samoan Group. 34 reef, it entered the mountain tori'ent, and eventually reached the foot of the fragrant pandanus, on a branch of which the uncons^cious victim was sleeping. The sea-serpent easily climbed the pandanus by means of one of its extraor- dinary jerial supports or roots ; and now, holding ou firmly with its twisted tail, began the attack by biting the lovely bird. They fought hard all througli that night. At dawn, the white heron seeing Uata passing that way plaintively called out, "O Eata, put an end to this fight." But the serpent said deceitfully, " Nay, Eata, leave us alone ; it is but a trial of strength between a heron and a serpent ; let us fight it out." Again the white heron begged Eata to interfere ; and again the crafty sea- serpent bade Eata to go on his way — which he did, being in a great hurry to fell timber for his canoe. But as he walked heedlessly along, he heard the bird say reproachfully, " Ah ! your canoe wall not be finished without my aid." Still Eata heeded not the white heron's cry for help, but entered the recesses of the forest. Selecting the finest timber he could find, he cut down enough for his purpose, and at sunset returned home. Early on the following morning the chief returned to the valley, intending to hollow out the trees he had felled on the previous day. Strangely enough, the logs were missing ; not a lopped branch, or even a chip or a leaf could be seen ! No stump could be discovered, so that it was evident that the felled trees had, in the course of the night, been mysteriously restored to their former state. But Eata was not to be deterred from his purpose, so having again fixed upon suitable trees, a second time he levelled them to the ground. On the third morning, as he went back through the forest to his work, he noticed that the heron and the serpent were still fighting. They had been thus engaged for two days and nights without intermission. Eata pursued his way, intending to hollow out his canoe, when, to his astonishment, as on the previous day, the fallen trees had resumed their original places, and were in every respect as perfect as before the axe had touched them. Eata guessed", by their position and size, which were the trees that had twice served him this trick. He now for the first time understood the meaning of what the suff"ering white heron had said to him on the first day, " Tour canoe will not be finished without my aid." Eata now left the forest and went to see whether the white heron was •still alive. The beautiful bird was indeed living, but very much exhausted. Its unrelenting foe, sure of victory, was preparing for a final attack, when Eata chopped it in pieces with his axe, and thus saved the life of the white heron. He then went back to his work, and for the third time felled the timber for his canoe. As it was by this time growing dark, he returned home to rest. From the branch of a distant tree the somewhat revived white heron watched the labours of Eata through the livelong day. As soon as the chief had disappeared in the evening, the grateful bird started off to collect all the birds of Kupolu to hollow out Rata"s canoe. They gladly obeyed the summons of their sovereign, and pecked away with their beaks until the huge logs were speedily hollowed out. Next came the more difficult task of ijoining together the separate pieces. The holes were bored with the long bills of the sea birds, and the sinnet was well secured with the claws of the stronger land birds. It was almost dawn ere the work was completed. Finally, they resolved to convey the canoe to the beach, close to Eata's dwelling. To accomplish this, each bird — the small as well as the large — took its place on either side of the canoe, completely surrouuding it. At a given signal, they all extended their wings, one to bear up the canoe, the 35 other for flight. As they bore the canoe througli the air they sang, each with a different note, as follows: — E ara rakau e ! Eara rakau T' ! A pathway for the canoe ! A pathway for the canoe ! E ara inano t? ! A patli of sweet-scented flowers ! E kopukopn to tini o Kupolu._ Tlie entire family of birds of Kupolu _ E matakitaki, ka re koe ! OO ! Honour thee (Kata) above all mortals ! Oo ! On reaching the sandy beach in front of Eata's dwelling, the canoe was carefully deposited by the birds, who now quickly disappeared in the depths of the forest. Awakened by this unwonted song of the birds, Eata hastily collected his tools, intending to return to his arduous employment in the valley. At this moment he caught sight of the famous canoe, beautifully finished off, lying close to his door. He at once guessed this to be the gratitude of the kiug of birds, and named the canoe " Tarai-po," i.e.. Built in a night, or Built in the in risible world. ECHO; OR THE CAVE FAIRY.-A Legend from Mangaia. The first king of Mangaia was named Eangi, who had previously dragged up the island from the depths of the unseen w^orld. Eangi resolved to explore every nook and corner of his new realm, to ascertain whether there were any other inhabitants in his territory. After travelling some distance along the northern division of his domains without discovering the slightest trace of any living creature, he approached a romantic pile of rocks overhanging a ti-emendous gorge, by which the waters of the neighbouring valleys discharge themselves into the ocean. A number of caves converge at this point, the pathway to which is obstructed by vast boulders. Here Eangi shouted, as was his wont, "05" ("Hallo, there!"). To his surprise a voice from the rocks distinctly replied, " Or.." Eangi asked, " "What is your name?" Instead of a satisfactory reply came the defiant query, "What is your name?" Eangi, bursting with indignation, now demanded of this unseen fellow-resident, " "Whence do you come ?" Still the invisible speaker declined to reveal herself, and the ears of Eangi were assailed with the irritating words, " "Whence do ,yo?f come?" Unable to endure this any longer, he cursed the hidden inhabitant of the caA^e, nicknaming her " Aitu- mamaoa," i.e., the ever-distant, or the-hide-and-seeTc spirit ; but forthwith heard himself cursed in exactly the same tone and words. Evidently this satirical, unseen being was no respecter of persons. Eangi fell immeasurably in his own estimation. Eangi now resolved, at any cost, to get a sight of the insolent creature pertinaciously hiding in the rocks. Cautiously leaping from boulder to boiilder, he entered the gorge, inquiring as he proceeded for the hitherto invisible inhabitant, but receiving for his pains only sarcastic replies. The chasm grew darker and narrower, but Eangi kept bravely on his way. Upon suddenly looking up, to his astonishment, he found that the arched roof was everywhere covered with transparent glittering pendants (stalactites), white, like a row of formidable teeth, almost touching his person, drops of cold water meanwhile falling like rain upon a stone flooring. Underneath was a row of stumps (stalagmites), rising up from the basement of the cave. Awe-stricken at the sight of these A-ast open jaws, apparently about to 36 swallow him up, lie instinctively retreated a few step?, and, looliiiig up once more, i'or the iirst time caught a glimpse of the lace of a female fairy, he&rtily laughing at his terror. An soon as Eangi recovered his equanimity, he inquired the proper name of this formidable apparition. Her reply was, " I am Tumuteanaoa, or Echo " (literally, "the ciive-speaking sprite"). " I am the being that everywhere inhabited the rocks of Mangaia ere you set feet on the soil." The cave where Eangi first made the acquaintance of Echo, was thence- forth named Aitu-mamaoa, or the home of the ever-distant, or hide-and-seek .spirit. In the course of his subsequent exploration Eangi often met with this notable nymph Echo, who seemed to be ubiquitous. No difficulty ever arose from the presence of Echo in his dominions, as she was a nymph of a gentle and harmless disposition, her only fault being that she was a little satirical when addressed by strangers. MAUI THE GREAT.-Ars! Aitutakian Myth. The great Maui, who had eight heads, formerly lived in utter darkness in Avaiki, or nether-world. On one occasion, as he was wandering about in his gloomy abode, he saw a ftiint streak of light issuing from a small aper- ture in the roof. Maui at once conjectured that there must be somewhere beyond a world of light, and resolved at any cost to leave the dark prison- world which he had always inhabited. He tried hard to reach the hole, and succeeded in doing so ; but, upon endeavouring to squeeze himself through, found it impossible, on account of the nvimber of his heads. AVithout hesitation Mfiui plucked ofi: one of his heads, and vainly tried again. A second head was plucked off ; but, though he possessed now only six, he could not get through. True to his resolve to explore the realms of day, Maui deprived himself of the sixth, fifth, fourth, and third heads. "Now," thought this god of the shades, "having but two heads left, I shall be sure to get through." He tried, and once more failed. Ofl: went one of the remaining heads, and the hero entered the narrow hole ; and, to his great delight, speedily emerged into a flood of light in this world of ours. Nor did he ever regret the sacrifice he had made to attain so rich a reward ; for he made this world his permanent home. Hence it is that now all mankind, his descendants, have but one head apiece ! DELUGE-MYTHS.-From Mangaia. (3iiiGiNALLT the surface of Mangaia was everywhere a gentle slope from the centre to the sea, without a single depression or valley ; and the follow^- iug is the account given of the process by w^hich the island was changed to its present condition : — Aokeu,* a son of Echo, disputed w-armly with Ake who should perform the most wonderful thijig. Ake'a home is the ocean, and his constant employment to tread down its flooring ; thus ever deepening its vast basin, and enabling it to contain more of his favourite element. Ake was confident that he could easily beat Aokeu, who was ignobly born of the continual drippings of purest water from the stalactite roof of a narrow cavern. To insure success, Ake summoned to his assistance Eaka, fifth child of the great mother, Vari — originator-of-all-things. Eaka, as god of winds, com- placently drove a fearful cyclone over sea and land, as though about to bury the island for ever. Tikokura and Tane-erc-tue, twin children of the god of winds, also lent their willing aid ; the former being impersonated in • Aokeu = " Red-cii-cle," alluding to discolouration of the ocean after heavy rains. 37 the hu^'e curling line of breakers which iu bad weather threatens to shiver the soird coral reef to atoms ; the latter in the rarely-seen storm-wave, which never fails to strike terror in the heart of the spectator. On rushed these mighty monsters, sure of victory. They actually succeeded in covering the highest rocks near the shore, about 100 feet above the level of the sea. Asa lasting memorial of this achievement, numberless clam and other shells, as well as uiujnTcoa, or " coral-borers," are to this day firmly embedded in the solid rock,* which is burrowed and worn — even at its highest points— into a thousand fantastic shapes by the action of the sea. Meantime, Aokeu had not been idle. He caused the rain— his favourite element— to fall, without the slightest intermission, five days and nights in dreadful torrents. The red clay and small stones of the interior were washed into the ocean, di.scolouriug its waters to a considerable distance. Still the rain poured down with unabated violence. On every side the channels deepened, until the narrow valleys of the interior were formed ; and as the storm went on, the larger valleys near the sea, walled in on the seaward side by perpendicular rocks, and now the principal taro-planting districts, gradually assumed their present dimensions. The flat summit of the central hill, Kangimotia, " the crown of Mangaia," was alone uncovered ■with water, to indicate what the original height of the interior had been. At the outset, Eangi, the first sovereign of Mangaia, had been warned of the desperate strife of elements about to take place ; and, with his few- people, awaited at Eangimotia the issue of the contest. It was with great concern that he saw, on the one hand, the wild ocean covering the belt of rocks which surrounds the island, and, on the other hand, a vast lake of fresh water rising rapidly, and tumultuously rushing to meet the advancing ocean. Everywhere an immense expanse of water met the eye of Eangi, save only the long and narrow strip of level soil upon which he and his people tremblingly stood. Already the water had reached their feet. "What if it should rise a little higher ? Eangi resolved to appeal to Great Eongo to. save him and his beloved " Auau " (Mangaia) from destruction. To reach his marae, then facing the rising sun, it was needful for the brave Eangi to make his way through the waters, which reached his chin, along a ridge of hills to a point named Teunu, lying due east. Just here is a spot still called •' the standiug-place of Eongo," because that divinity at once accepted the petition of his grandson ; and, looking at the fierce conflict going on — the floods of the interior meeting, and raging against the waters of the ocean — he shouted, " A tira ! " (it is enough) : a phrase then for the first time used, but in after times scarcely ever off the lips of mortals. The eye of Vatea {i.e., the sun) too, opening at that moment above the scene of conflict, saw and pitied mankind. The ocean sullenly returned to its former level, and the rain ceased ; after a while the waters of the interior were drained off, and the present agreeable diversity of hill and vale was eventually presented. Hence the proud name of the supreme god of Mangaia, Rongo arai hea, i.e., "Eongo, the warder-off of mad billows." Mankind were saved ; and the land became better adapted than ever for their residence. Aokeu, lord of rain, was acknowledged victor ; for after the wild rage of ocean had expended itself upon the rocky heights near the sea, the appearance of the clifts remained essentially the same ; and the fierce sons of the god of winds had, after all, failed to reach the interior of the island. But the turbid floods rushing down from the central hill extended far away into the ocean, everywhere marking their triumphant progress with the red clay of the mountains of Mangaia. * Hardened coral, upheaved by volcanic agency in some remote period of the earth's history. 116272 3S To this famous contest Koroa refers in his fete-song in meraorj of Tekaire, circa a.d. 1818. Chorvs. Altaotu to ngaru. The demon of the billows. E tei te mo:ina ae C- ! Is disporting himself in mid-ocean. Te riri o Vatea. Vaerc atu i te poue I te paepae o Rongo e ! Rongo arai mai i te kea e ! And again, in the same sor.g Nga taac a kntu mai a kntu e ! Ae 5 ! Solo. Suc-li is the might of Yatea. Cliorits. Clear a^^■ay the wild vines Invading the precints of Rongo's grove. 'Ti.s Rongo who wards off' the mad l)illowi Chorum. These surf-gods are for ever thundering Solo. Chortis. Aye! Te kutu nei nga maoata, Kua reru aere i te ngangie I te mato i te raei e ! Rongo arai mai i te kea e ! These angry sea-gods are ever at work, Breaking down and crashing the trees ; E'en climbing the rocks and high cliffs. 'Tis Rongo who wards off the mad billows. It was so real a contest in the estimation of men of former days, tha' opinions were divided as to the route actually taken by E-angi in making fo the marae of Eongo (formerly in the cast, but afterwards removed to thi west). Some asserted that it was by the direct path terminating at Yivitaunoa others thought that, to avoid the dip beyond Yivitaunoa, Eangi traversed th south-eastern ridge terminating at Paeru. This myth stands alone, no other achievement being attributed to Aokeu which is a proof of its antiquity. From Rakaanga.* A KING named Taoiauf was on one occasion greatly incensed against hi people for not bringing him the sacred turtle. The irate chief " awakened all the mighty sea-gods upon whose goodwill the existence of the islands- Eakaanga and Manihiki — depends, particularly a great divinity who sleeps i the bottom of mid-ocean, and who, at the prayers of Taoiau, rose up in angi like a vast upright stone. A dreadful cyclone began, and the ocean roi and swept over the entire island of Eakaanga. The few inhabitants of tho: days escaped destruction by taking refuge on a mound which was pointed oi to me. This memorable event is known as " the overwhelming of Taoiau." In Indian story, MOnu, or Manu, is the Xoah whose boat floated in safe over the waters which drowned the world. " Manu" is the great Polynesi; word for floating on the surface, as of a thing submerged. " Manu " is t" universal word for bird, i.e., as floating or gliding through the air. Is t similarity merely accidental ? * A low coral island lying l)i;t\vccn the Sainoan and Hcrvty Groups. t Taoiau = pcacc-bcarer. Sydney : Charles Potter, Govemnient Printer.— 1892. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES lW "^AaaAiNdJW"^' ^«!/OJIlV3jO't^ ^lOSANCflfj: .vxT.llRRAfiY/)r .A^UBRARYflr. ,.\\^E UNIVERS//) University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. APR 13199i «3 QL APf ^s^ijgg '<»OJI1VDJO OFCAIIFOR omuvfi aOSANCEl£ ^a3AIN(l-3\ aosANcni ^WAiNnawv ^ni s^ ^lOSANCElfjv., "^ajAiNn-jttV ^lOSANCElCr^ '^^omm^ ^" >&AavHan#' % a;^10SANCEI£j;> k O li= f ft Q ^lUBRARYQc. '<»Odl]VDJO^ OFCAllFOff^ aWEDNIVER% ^lOSANCEl^;^ I 3 ,^WE■UNIVER5•/A ^lOSAKCn% ^lUBRARYQ^^ -^lUBRARYQr^ ^^,OFCA1IFO% .^jOFCAllFOfti^ v©i i^i if^ei I*!©! ivai 000 441