_Interview with Otoo, King of the Island.--Imprudent Conduct of
Omai.--Employments on Shore.--European Animals landed.--Particulars
about a Native who had visited Lima.--About Oedidee--A Revolt
in Eimeo.--War with that Island determined upon, in a Council of
Chiefs.--A human Sacrifice on that Account.--A particular Relation
of the Ceremonies at the great Morai, where the Sacrifice was
offered.--Other barbarous Customs of this People._
About nine o'clock in the morning, Otoo, the king of the whole island,
attended by a great number of canoes full of people, came from Oparre,
his place of residence and having landed on Matavai Point, sent a
message on board, expressing his desire to see me there. Accordingly
I landed, accompanied by Omai, and some of the officers. We found a
prodigious number of people assembled on this occasion, and in the
midst of them was the king, attended by his father, his two brothers,
and three sisters. I went up first and saluted him, being followed by
Omai, who kneeled and embraced his legs. He had prepared himself for
this ceremony, by dressing himself in his very best suit of clothes,
and behaved with a great deal of respect and modesty. Nevertheless,
very little notice was taken of him. Perhaps envy had some share in
producing this cold reception. He made the chief a present of a large
piece of red feathers, and about two or three yards of gold cloth; and
I gave him a suit of fine linen, a gold-laced hat, some tools, and,
what was of more value than all the other articles, a quantity of red
feathers, and one of the bonnets in use at the Friendly Islands.
After the hurry of this visit was over, the king and the whole royal
family accompanied me on board, followed by several canoes, laden with
all kinds of provisions, in quantity sufficient to have served the
companies of both ships for a week. Each of the family owned, or
pretended to own, a part; so that I had a present from every one of
them, and every one of them had a separate present in return from me,
which was the great object in view. Soon after, the king's mother, who
had not been present at the first interview, came on board, bringing
with her a quantity of provisions and cloth, which she divided between
me and Omai. For, although he was but little noticed at first by his
countrymen, they no sooner gained the knowledge of his riches, than
they began to court his friendship. I encouraged this as much as I
could, for it was my wish to fix him with Otoo. As I intended to leave
all my European animals at this island, I thought he would be able to
give some instruction about the management of them, and about their
use. Besides, I knew and saw, that the farther he was from his native
island, he would be the better respected. But, unfortunately, poor
Omai rejected my advice, and conducted himself in so imprudent a
manner, that he soon lost the friendship of Otoo, and of every other
person of note in Otaheite. He associated with none but vagabonds and
strangers, whose sole views were to plunder him. And, if I had not
interfered, they would not have left him a single article worth the
carrying from the island. This necessarily drew upon him the ill-will
of the principal chiefs, who found that they could not procure, from
any one in the ships, such valuable presents as Omai bestowed on the
lowest of the people, his companions.
As soon as we had dined, a party of us accompanied Otoo to Oparre,
taking with us the poultry, with which we were to stock the island.
They consisted of a peacock and hen (which Lord Besborough was so kind
as to send me for this purpose, a few days before I left London); a
turkey-cock and hen; one gander, and three geese; a drake and four
ducks. All these I left at Oparre, in the possession of Otoo; and
the geese and ducks began to breed before we sailed. We found there
a gander, which the natives told us, was the same that Captain Wallis
had given to Oberea ten years before; several goats, and the Spanish
bull, whom they kept tied to a tree near Otoo's house. I never saw a
finer animal of his kind. He was now the property of Etary, and had
been brought from Oheitepeha to this place, in order to be shipped
for Bolabola. But it passes my comprehension, how they can contrive to
carry him in one of their canoes. If we had not arrived, it would have
been of little consequence who had the property of him, as, without
a cow, he could be of no use; and none had been left with him. Though
the natives told us, that there were cows on board the Spanish ships,
and that they took them away with them, I cannot believe this, and
should rather suppose, that they had died in the passage from Lima.
The next day, I sent the three cows, that I had on board, to this
bull; and the bull, which I had brought, the horse and mare, and
sheep, I put ashore at Matavai.
Having thus disposed of these passengers, I found my self lightened
of a very heavy burthen. The trouble and vexation that attended the
bringing this living cargo thus far, is hardly to be conceived. But
the satisfaction that I felt, in having been so fortunate as to fulfil
his majesty's humane design, in sending such valuable animals, to
supply the wants of two worthy nations, sufficiently recompensed
me for the many anxious hours I had passed, before this subordinate
object of my voyage could be carried into execution.
As I intended to make some stay here, we set up the two observatories
on Matavai Point. Adjoining to them, two tents were pitched for the
reception of a guard, and of such people as it might be necessary to
leave on shore, in different departments. At this station, I
entrusted the command to Mr King, who, at the same time, attended the
observations, for ascertaining the going of the time-keeper, and other
purposes. During our stay, various necessary operations employed the
crews of both ships. The Discovery's main-mast was carried ashore,
and made as good as ever. Our sails and water-casks were repaired, the
ships were caulked, and the rigging all overhauled. We also inspected
all the bread that we had on board in casks; and had the satisfaction
to find that but little of it was damaged.
On the 26th, I had a piece of ground cleared for a garden, and planted
it with several articles, very few of which, I believe, the natives,
will ever look after. Some melons, potatoes, and two pine-apple
plants, were in a fair way of succeeding before we left the place. I
had brought from the Friendly Islands several shaddock trees. These I
also planted here; and they can hardly fail of success, unless their
growth should be checked by the same premature curiosity, which
destroyed a vine planted by the Spaniards at Oheitepeha. A number of
the natives got together to taste the first fruit it bore; but, as
the grapes were still sour, they considered it as little better than
poison, and it was unanimously determined to tread it under foot.
In that state, Omai found it by chance, and was overjoyed at the
discovery. For he had a full confidence, that, if he had but grapes,
he could easily make wine. Accordingly, he had several slips cut off
from the tree, to carry away with him; and we pruned and put in order
the remains of it. Probably, grown wise by Omai's instructions, they
may now suffer the fruit to grow to perfection, and not pass so hasty
a sentence upon it again.
We had not been eight and forty hours at anchor in Matavai Bay, before
we were visited by all our old friends, whose names are recorded in
the account of my last voyage. Not one of them came empty-handed; so
that we had more provisions than we knew what to do with. What was
still more, we were under no apprehensions of exhausting the island,
which presented to our eyes every mark of the most exuberant plenty,
in every article of refreshment.
Soon after our arrival here, one of the natives, whom the Spaniards
had carried with them to Lima, paid us a visit; but, in his
external appearance, he was not distinguishable from the rest of his
countrymen. However, he had not forgot some Spanish words which he
had acquired, though he pronounced them badly. Amongst them, the most
frequent were, _si Sennor_; and, when a stranger was introduced to
him, he did not fail to rise up and accost him, as well as he could.
We also found here the young man whom we called Oedidee, but whose
real name is Heete-heete. I had carried him from Ulietea in 1773, and
brought him back in 1774; after he had visited the Friendly Islands,
New Zealand, Easter Island, and the Marqueses, and been on board my
ship, in that extensive navigation, about seven months. He was, at
least, as tenacious of his good breeding, as the man who had been
at Lima; and _yes, Sir_, or _if you please, Sir_, were as frequently
repeated by him, as _si Sennor_ was by the other. Heete-heete, who
is a native of Bolabola, had arrived in Otaheite about three months
before, with no other intention, that we could learn, than to gratify
his curiosity, or, perhaps, some other favourite passion; which
are very often the only objects of the pursuit of other travelling
gentlemen. It was evident, however, that he preferred the modes, and
even garb, of his countrymen, to ours. For, though I gave him some
clothes, which our Admiralty Board had been pleased to send for his
use (to which I added a chest of tools, and a few other articles, as a
present from myself), he declined wearing them, after a few days. This
instance, and that of the person who had been at Lima, may be urged
as a proof of the strong propensity natural to man, of returning to
habits acquired at an early age, and only interrupted by accident.
And, perhaps, it may be concluded, that even Omai, who had imbibed
almost the whole English manners, will, in a very short time after our
leaving him, like Oedidee, and the visiter of Lima, return to his own
native garments.[5]
[Footnote 5: Captain Cook's remark has often been exemplified in other
instances. The tendency to revert to barbarism is so strong, as to
need to be continually checked by the despotism of refined manners,
and all the healthful emulations of civilized societies. Perhaps the
rather harsh observation of Dr Johnson, that there is always a great
deal of _scoundrelism_ in a low man, is more strictly applicable to
the cases of savages in general, than to even the meanest member of
any cultivated community. But in the case of a superiorly endowed
individual situate amongst a mass of ruder beings, to all of whom he
is attached by the strongest ties of affection and early acquaintance,
another powerfully deranging cause is at work in addition to the
natural tendency to degenerate, viz. the necessity of accommodating
himself to established customs and opinions. The former agent alone,
we know, has often degraded Europeans. Is it to be thought wonderful
then, that, where both principles operate, a man of Omai's character
should speedily relinquish foreign acquirements, and retrograde into
his original barbarity?--E.]
In the morning of the 27th, a man came from Oheitepeha, and told us,
that two Spanish ships had anchored in that bay the night before; and,
in confirmation of this intelligence, he produced a piece of coarse
blue cloth, which, he said, he got out of one of the ships, and which,
indeed, to appearance, was almost quite new. He added, that Mateema
was in one of the ships, and that they were to come down to Matavai
in a day or two. Some other circumstances which he mentioned, with
the foregoing ones, gave the story so much the air of truth, that I
dispatched Lieutenant Williamson in a boat, to look into Oheitepeha
bay; and, in the mean time, I put the ships into a proper posture
of defence. For, though England and Spain were in peace when I left
Europe, for aught I knew, a different scene might, by this time, have
opened. However, on farther enquiry, we had reason to think that the
fellow who brought the intelligence had imposed upon us; and this was
put beyond all doubt, when Mr Williamson returned next day, who made
his report to me, that he had been at Oheitepeha, and found that no
ships were there now, and that none had been there since we left it.
The people of this part of the island where we now were, indeed, told
us, from the beginning, that it was a fiction invented by those
of Tiaraboo. But what view they could have, we were at a loss to
conceive, unless they supposed that the report would have some effect
in making us quit the island, and, by that means, deprive the people
of Otaheite-nooe of the advantages they might reap from our ships
continuing there; the inhabitants of the two parts of the island being
inveterate enemies to each other.
From the time of our arrival at Matavai, the weather had been very
unsettled, with more or less rain every day, till the 29th; before
which we were not able to get equal altitudes of the sun for
ascertaining the going of the time-keeper. The same cause also
retarded the caulking and other necessary repairs of the ships.
In the evening of this day, the natives made a precipitate retreat,
both from on board the ships, and from our station on shore. For what
reason, we could not, at first, learn; though, in general, we guessed
it arose from their knowing that some theft had been committed, and
apprehending punishment on that account. At length, I understood what
had happened. One of the surgeon's mates had been in the country to
purchase curiosities, and had taken with him four hatchets for that
purpose. Having employed one of the natives to carry them for him, the
fellow took an opportunity to run off with so valuable a prize. This
was the cause of the sudden flight, in which Otoo himself, and his
whole family, had joined; and it was with difficulty that I stopped
them, after following them two or three miles. As I had resolved to
take no measures for the recovery of the hatchets, in order to put
my people upon their guard against such negligence for the future,
I found no difficulty in bringing the natives back, and in restoring
every thing to its usual tranquillity.
Hitherto, the attention of Otoo and his people had been confined to
us; but, next morning, a new scene of business opened, by the arrival
of some messengers from Eimeo, or (as it is much oftener called by the
natives) Morea,[6] with intelligence, that the people in that island
were in arms; and that Otoo's partizans there had been worsted, and
obliged to retreat to the mountains. The quarrel between the two
islands, which commenced in 1774, as mentioned in the account of
my last voyage, had, it seems, partly subsisted ever since. The
formidable armament which I saw at that time, and described, had
sailed soon after I then left Otaheite; but the malcontents of Eimeo
had made so stout a resistance, that the fleet had returned without
effecting much; and now another expedition was necessary.
[Footnote 6: Morea, according to Dr Forster, is a district in Eimeo.
See his _Observations_, p. 217.]
On the arrival of these messengers, all the chiefs, who happened to
be at Matavai, assembled at Otoo's house, where I actually was at the
time, and had the honour to be admitted into their council. One of
the messengers opened the business of the assembly, in a speech
of considerable length. But I understood little of it, besides its
general purport, which was to explain the situation of affairs in
Eimeo; and to excite the assembled chiefs of Otaheite to arm on
the occasion. This opinion was combated by others who were against
commencing hostilities; and the debate was carried on with great
order, no more than one man speaking at a time. At last, they became
very noisy, and I expected that our meeting would have ended like a
Polish diet. But the contending great men cooled as fast as they
grew warm, and order was soon restored. At length, the party for war
prevailed; and it was determined, that a strong force should be sent
to assist their friends in Eimeo. But this resolution was far from
being unanimous. Otoo, during the whole debate, remained silent;
except that, now and then, he addressed a word or two to the speakers.
Those of the council, who were for prosecuting the war, applied to me
for my assistance; and all of them wanted to know what part I would
take. Omai was sent for to be my interpreter; but, as he could not be
found, I was obliged to speak for myself, and told them, as well as I
could, that as I was not thoroughly acquainted with the dispute, and
as the people of Eimeo had never offended me, I could not think
myself at liberty to engage in hostilities against them. With this
declaration they either were, or seemed, satisfied. The assembly then
broke up; but, before I left them, Otoo desired me to come to him in
the afternoon, and to bring Omai with me.
Accordingly, a party of us waited upon him at the appointed time; and
we were conducted by him to his father, in whose presence the dispute
with Eimeo was again talked over. Being very desirous of devising some
method to bring about an accommodation, I sounded the old chief on
that head. But we found him deaf to any such proposal, and fully
determined to prosecute the war. He repeated the solicitations which
I had already resisted, about giving them my assistance. On our
enquiring into the cause of the war, we were told, that, some years
ago, a brother of Waheiadooa, of Tiaraboo, was sent to Eimeo, at the
request of Maheine, a popular chief of that island, to be their king;
but that he had not been there a week before Maheine, having caused
him to be killed, set up for himself, in opposition to Tierataboonooe,
his sister's son, who became the lawful heir; or else had been pitched
upon, by the people of Otaheite, to succeed to the government on the
death of the other.
Towha, who was a relation of Otoo, and chief of the district of
Tettaha, a man of much weight in the island, and who had been
commander-in-chief of the armament fitted out against Eimeo in 1774,
happened not to be at Matavai at this time; and, consequently, was not
present at any of these consultations. It, however, appeared that he
was no stranger to what was transacted; and that he entered with more
spirit into the affair than any other chief. For, early in the morning
of the 1st of September, a messenger arrived from him to acquaint Otoo
that he had killed a man to be sacrificed to the _Eatooa_, to implore
the assistance of the god against Eimeo. This act of worship was to be
performed at the great _Morai_ at Attahooroo; and Otoo's presence, it
seems, was absolutely necessary on that solemn occasion.
That the offering of human sacrifices is part of the religious
institutions of this island, had been mentioned by Mons. de
Bougainville, on the authority of the native whom he carried with
him to France. During my last visit to Otaheite, and while I had
opportunities of conversing with Omai on the subject, I had satisfied
myself that there was too much reason to admit that such a practice,
however inconsistent with the general humanity of the people, was here
adopted. But as this was one of those extraordinary facts, about which
many are apt to retain doubts, unless the relater himself has had
ocular proof to confirm what he had heard from others, I thought this
a good opportunity of obtaining the highest evidence of its certainty,
by being present myself at the solemnity; and, accordingly, proposed
to Otoo that I might be allowed to accompany him. To this he readily
consented; and we immediately set out in my boat, with my old friend
Potatou, Mr Anderson, and Mr Webber; Omai following in a canoe.
In our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha,
where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation
between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed
himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed
angry, thinking it strange, that I, who had always declared myself to
be the friend of their island, would not now go and fight against its
enemies. Before we parted, he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers,
tied up in a tuft, and a lean half-starved dog was put into a canoe
that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a
priest who was to assist at the solemnity.
As soon as we landed at Attahooroo, which was about two o'clock in the
afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered
to remain in the boat; and that Mr Anderson, Mr Webber, and myself,
might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the _morai_, to
which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men and some
boys, but not one woman. We found four priests, and their attendants,
or assistants, waiting for us. The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a
small canoe that lay on the beach, and partly in the wash of the
sea, fronting the _morai_. Two of the priests, with some of their
attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the _morai_. Our
company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here
Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others, standing by him, while the
bulk of the people remained at a greater distance.
The ceremonies now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a
young plantain-tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached
with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the
cocoa-nut husk, with which he touched one of the king's feet, and then
retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at
the _morai_, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long
prayer, and at certain times, sent down young plantain-trees, which
were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by
the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of
cloth. In one of them, as we afterward found, was the royal _maro_;
and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the
_Eatooa_. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the _morai_,
with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach,
carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers;
during which the plantain-trees were taken, one by one, at different
times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa
leaves and small branches. It was now taken out of the canoe, and
laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed
themselves around it, some sitting and others standing, and one or
more of them repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body
was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in
a parallel direction with the sea-shore. One of the priests then
standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was
at times joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red
feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the
head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out, both which were
presented to Otoo, wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not however
touch it, but gave to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers
which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and eye, was
carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another
piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my
pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a
noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me, saying, "That is the _Eatooa_"
and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.
The body was then carried a little way, with its head towards the
_morai_, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad thin
pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth
were laid on a part of the _morai_, and the tufts of red feathers
were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took
their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased.
He who seemed to be the chief priest sat at a small distance, and
spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures,
so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to
whom he constantly addressed himself; and sometimes asked several
questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been
killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased
either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage
him to comply with such requests. Amongst which, we understood, he
asked him to deliver Eimeo, Maheine its chief, the hogs, women, and
other things of the island, into their hands; which was, indeed, the
express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which
lasted near half an hour, in a whining, melancholy tone, accompanied
by two other priests; and in which Potatou and some others joined. In
the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from
the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this,
the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which
came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who
prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon
the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.
The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the
_morai_, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums;
the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid
against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them.
The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their
prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet
deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over
with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave,
a boy squeaked aloud, and Omai said to me, that it was the _Eatooa_.
During this time, a fire having been made, the dog before-mentioned,
was produced, and killed, by twisting his neck and suffocating him.
The hair was singed off, and the entrails taken out, and thrown into
the fire, where they were left to consume. But the heart, liver,
and kidneys were only roasted, by being laid on hot stones for a
few minutes; and the body of the dog, after being besmeared with the
blood, which had been collected into a cocoa-nut shell, and dried over
the fire, was, with the liver, &c. carried and laid down before
the priests, who sat praying round the grave. They continued their
ejaculations over the dog for some time, while two men, at intervals,
beat on two drums very loud; and a boy screamed, as before, in a loud,
shrill voice, three different times. This, as we were told, was to
invite the _Eatooa_ to feast on the banquet that they had prepared for
him. As soon as the priests had ended their prayers, the carcass
of the dog, with what belonged to it, were laid on a _whatta_, or
scaffold, about six feet high, that stood close by, on which lay the
remains of two other dogs, and of two pigs, which had lately been
sacrificed, and, at this time, emitted an intolerable stench. This
kept us at a greater distance, than would otherwise have been required
of us. For after the victim was removed from the sea-side toward the
_morai_, we were allowed to approach as near as we pleased. Indeed,
after that, neither seriousness nor attention were much observed by
the spectators. When the dog was put upon the _whatta_, the priests
and attendants gave a kind of shout, which closed the ceremonies for
the present. The day being now also closed, we were conducted to a
house belonging to Potatou, where we were entertained, and lodged
for the night. We had been told that the religious rites were to be
renewed in the morning; and I would not leave the place, while any
thing remained to be seen.
Being unwilling to lose any part of the solemnity, some of us repaired
to the scene of action pretty early, but found nothing going forward.
However, soon after a pig was sacrificed, and laid upon the same
_whatta_ with the others. About eight o'clock, Otoo took us again to
the _morai_, where the priests, and a great number of men, were by
this time assembled. The two bundles occupied the place in which we
had seen them deposited the preceding evening; the two drums stood in
the front of the _morai_, but somewhat nearer it than before, and the
priests were beyond them. Otoo placed himself between the two drums,
and desired me to stand by him.
The ceremony began, as usual, with bringing a young plantain-tree, and
laying it down at the king's feet. After this a prayer was repeated
by the priests, who held in their hands several tufts of red feathers,
and also a plume of ostrich feathers, which I had given to Otoo on my
first arrival, and had been consecrated to this use. When the priests
had made an end of the prayer, they changed their station, placing
themselves between us and the _morai_; and one of them, the same
person who had acted the principal part the day before, began another
prayer, which lasted about half an hour. During the continuance of
this, the tufts of feathers were, one by one, carried and laid upon
the ark of the _Eatooa_.
Some little time after, four pigs were produced, one of which was
immediately killed, and the others were taken to a sty hard by,
probably reserved for some future occasion of sacrifice. One of the
bundles was now untied; and it was found, as I have before observed,
to contain the _maro_, with which these people invest their kings,
and which seems to answer, in some degree, to the European ensigns
of royalty, it was carefully taken out of the cloth, in which, it had
been wrapped up, and spread at full length upon the ground before the
priests. It is a girdle, about five yards long; and fifteen inches
broad; and, from its name, seems to be put on in the same manner as
is the common _maro_, or piece of cloth, used by these people to wrap
round the waist. It was ornamented with red and yellow feathers, but
mostly with the latter, taken from a dove found upon the island. The
one end was bordered with eight pieces, each about the size and shape
of a horse-shoe, having their edges fringed with black feathers. The
other end was forked, and the points were of different lengths.
The feathers were in square compartments, ranged in two rows, and
otherwise so disposed, as to produce a pleasing effect. They had been
first pasted or fixed upon some of their own country cloth, and
then sewed to the upper end of the pendant which Captain Wallis had
displayed, and left flying ashore, the first time that he landed at
Matavai. This was what they told us; and we had no reason to doubt it,
as we could easily trace the remains of an English pendant. About six
or eight inches square of the _maro_ was unornamented, there being
no feathers upon that space, except a few that had been sent by
Waheiadooa, as already mentioned. The priests made a long prayer,
relative to this part of the ceremony; and, if I mistook not, they
called it the prayer of the _maro_. When it was finished, the badge
of royalty was carefully folded up, put into the cloth, and deposited
again upon the _morai_.
The other bundle, which I have distinguished by the name of the ark,
was next opened at one end. But we were not allowed to go near enough
to examine its mysterious contents. The information we received was,
that the _Eatooa_, to whom they had been sacrificing, and whose
name is _Ooro_, was concealed in it, or rather what is supposed to
represent him. This sacred repository is made of the twisted fibres
of the husk of the cocoa-nut, shaped somewhat like a large fig, or
sugar-loaf, that is, roundish, with one end much thicker than the
other. We had very often got small ones from different people, but
never knew their use before.
By this time, the pig that had been killed, was cleaned, and the
entrails taken out. These happened to have a considerable share of
those convulsive motions, which often appear, in different parts,
after an animal is killed; and this was considered by the spectators
as a very favourable omen to the expedition on account of which the
sacrifices had been offered. After being exposed for some time, that
those who chose might examine their appearances, the entrails were
carried to the priests, and laid down before them. While one of their
number prayed, another inspected the entrails more narrowly, and kept
turning them gently with a stick. When they had been sufficiently
examined, they were thrown into the fire, and left to consume. The
sacrificed pig and its liver, &c. were now put upon the _whatta_,
where the dog had been deposited the day before; and then all the
feathers, except the ostrich plume, were enclosed with the _Eatooa_ in
the ark, and the solemnity finally closed.
Four double canoes lay upon the beach, before the place of sacrifice,
all the morning. On the fore part of each of these was fixed a small
platform, covered with palm-leaves, tied in mysterious knots; and
this also is called a _morai_. Some cocoa-nuts, plantains, pieces
of bread-fruit, fish, and other things, lay upon each of these naval
_morais_. We were told that they belonged to the _Eatooa_, and that
they were to attend the fleet designed to go against Eimeo.
The unhappy victim, offered to the object of their worship upon this
occasion, seemed to be a middle-aged man; and, as we were told, was a
_toutou_, that is, one of the lowest class of the people. But, after
all my enquiries, I could not learn that he had been pitched upon on
account of any particular crime committed by him meriting death. It
is certain, however, that they generally make choice of such guilty
persons for their sacrifices, or else of common, low fellows who
stroll about, from place to place, and from island to island, without
having any fixed abode, or any visible way of getting an honest
livelihood; of which description of men, enough are to be met with at
these islands. Having had an opportunity of examining the appearance
of the body of the poor sufferer now offered up, I could observe, that
it was bloody about the head and face, and a good deal bruised upon
the right temple, which marked the manner of his being killed. And
we were told, that he had been privately knocked on the head with a
stone.
Those who are devoted to suffer, in order to perform this bloody act
of worship, are never apprised of their fate, till the blow is given
that puts an end to their existence. Whenever any one of the
great chiefs thinks a human sacrifice necessary, on any particular
emergency, he pitches upon the victim. Some of his trusty servants
are then sent, who fall upon him suddenly, and put him to death with
a club, or by stoning him. The king is next acquainted with it,
whose presence, at the solemn rites that follow, is, as I was told,
absolutely necessary; and indeed on the present occasion, we could
observe, that Otoo bore a principal part. The solemnity itself is
called _Poore Eree_, or chief's prayer; and the victim, who is offered
up, _Taata-taboo_, or consecrated man. This is the only instance where
we have heard the word _taboo_ used at this island, where it seems to
have the same mysterious signification as at Tonga, though it is
there applied to all cases where things are not to be touched. But
at Otaheite, the word _raa_ serves the same purpose, and is full as
extensive in its meaning.
The _morai_, (which undoubtedly is a place of worship, sacrifice, and
burial, at the same time,) where the sacrifice was now offered, is
that where the supreme chief of the whole island is always buried, and
is appropriated to his family, and some of the principal people. It
differs little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal
part is a large oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each; other,
about twelve or fourteen feet high; contracted toward the top, with
a square area on each side, loosely paved with pebble stones, under
which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from
the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered,
which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here
a very large scaffold, or _whatta_, on which the offerings of fruits
and other vegetables are laid. But the animals are deposited on a
smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried
under different parts of the pavement. There are several other
reliques which ignorant superstition had scattered about this place;
such as small stones, raised in different parts of the pavement, some
with bits of cloth tied round them, others covered with it; and upon
the side of the large pile, which fronts the area, are placed a great
many pieces of carved wood, which are supposed to be sometimes the
residence of their divinities, and consequently held sacred. But one
place more particular than the rest, is a heap of stones at one end
of the large _whatta_, before which the sacrifice was offered, with a
kind of platform at one side. On this are laid the sculls of all the
human sacrifices, which are taken up after they have been several
months under ground. Just above them are placed a great number of the
pieces of wood; and it was also here, where the _maro_, and the other
bundle supposed to contain the god Ooro (and which I call the ark),
were laid during the ceremony, a circumstance which denotes its
agreement with the altar of other nations.
It is much to be regretted, that a practice so horrid in its
own nature, and so destructive of that inviolable right of
self-preservation which every one is born with, should be found still
existing; and (such is the power of superstition to counteract the
first principles of humanity!) existing amongst a people, in many
other respects, emerged from the brutal manners of savage life. What
is still worse, it is probable that these bloody rites of worship
are prevalent throughout all the wide-extended islands of the Pacific
Ocean. The similarity of customs and language, which our late voyages
have enabled us to trace, between the most distant of these islands,
makes it not unlikely that some of the more important articles of
their religious institutions should agree. And indeed we had the most
authentic information, that human sacrifices continue to be offered at
the Friendly Islands. When I described the _Natche_ at Tongataboo, I
mentioned that on the approaching sequel of that festival, we had been
told that ten men were to be sacrificed. This may give us an idea of
the extent of this religious massacre in that island. And though we
should suppose that never more than one person is sacrificed on any
single occasion at Otaheite, it is more than probable that these
occasions happen so frequently, as to make a shocking waste of the
human race, for I counted no less than forty-nine sculls of former
victims, lying before the _morai_, where we saw one more added to
the number. And as none of those sculls had as yet suffered any
considerable change from the weather, it may hence be inferred,
that no great length of time had elapsed, since, at least, this
considerable number of unhappy wretches had been offered upon this
altar of blood.
The custom, though no consideration can make it cease to be
abominable, might be thought less detrimental in some respects, if it
served to impress any awe for the divinity or reverence for religion
upon the minds of the multitude. But this is so far from being the
case, that though a great number of people had assembled at the
_morai_ on this occasion, they did not seem to shew any proper
reverence for what was doing or saying during the celebration of the
rites. And Omai happening to arrive, after they had begun, many of the
spectators flocked round him, and were engaged the remainder of the
time in making him relate some of his adventures, which they listened
to with great attention, regardless of the solemn offices performing
by their priests. Indeed, the priests themselves, except the one who
chiefly repeated the prayers, either from their being familiarized
to such objects, or from want of confidence in the efficacy of
their institutions, observed very little of that solemnity which is
necessary to give to religious performances their due weight. Their
dress was only an ordinary one, they conversed together without
scruple, and the only attempt made by them to preserve any appearance
of decency, was by exerting their authority to prevent the people from
coming upon the very spot where the ceremonies were performed, and
to suffer us as strangers to advance a little forward. They were,
however, very candid in their answers to any questions that were put
to them concerning the institution. And particularly on being asked
what the intention of it was, they said that it was an old custom, and
was agreeable to their god, who delighted in, or in other words, came
and fed upon the sacrifices; in consequence of which, he complied with
their petitions. Upon its being objected that he could not feed on
these, as he was neither seen to do it, nor were the bodies of the
animals quickly consumed, and that as to the human victim, they
prevented his feeding on him by burying him. But to all this they
answered, that he came in the night, but invisibly, and fed only on
the soul, or immaterial part, which, according to their doctrine,
remains about the place of sacrifice, until the body of the victim be
entirely wasted by putrefaction.
It were much to be wished, that this deluded people may learn to
entertain the same horror of murdering their fellow-creatures, in
order to furnish such an invisible banquet to their god, as they now
have of feeding corporeally on human flesh themselves. And yet we
have great reason to believe, that there was a time when they were
cannibals. We were told (and indeed partly saw it) that it is a
necessary ceremony when a poor wretch is sacrificed, for the priest to
take out the left eye. This he presents to the king, holding it to
his mouth, which he desires him to open; but instead of putting it in,
immediately withdraws it. This they call "eating the man," or "food
for the chief;" and perhaps we may observe here some traces of former
times, when the dead body was really feasted upon.
But not to insist upon this, it is certain, that human sacrifices are
not the only barbarous custom we find still prevailing amongst this
benevolent humane people. For besides cutting out the jaw-bones of
their enemies slain in battle, which they carry about as trophies,
they, in some measure, offer their bodies as a sacrifice to the
_Eatooa_. Soon after a battle, in which they have been victors, they
collect all the dead that have fallen into their hands and bring them
to the _morai_, where, with a great deal of ceremony, they dig a hole,
and bury them all in it, as so many offerings to the gods; but their
sculls are never after taken up.
Their own great chiefs that fall in battle are treated in a
different manner. We were informed, that their late king Tootaha,
Tubourai-tamaide, and another chief, who fell with them in the
battle fought with those of Tiaraboo, were brought to this _morai_ at
Attahooroo. There their bowels were cut out by the priests before
the great altar, and the bodies afterward buried in three different
places, which were pointed out to us, in the great pile of stones that
compose the most conspicuous part of this _morai_. And their common
men who also fell in this battle, were all buried in one hole at the
foot of the pile. This, Omai, who was present, told me, was done the
day after the battle, with much pomp and ceremony, and in the midst
of a great concourse of people, as a thanksgiving-offering to the
_Eatooa_, for the victory they had obtained; while the vanquished had
taken refuge in the mountains. There they remained a week or ten days,
till the fury of the victors was over, and a treaty set on foot, by
which it was agreed, that Otoo should be declared king of the whole
island, and the solemnity of investing him with the _maro_ was
performed at the same _morai_ with great pomp, in the presence of all
the principal men of the country.[7]
[Footnote 7: We must trespass a little on the reader's patience as
was formerly threatened. But on so curious, and indeed so exceedingly
important a subject as human sacrifices, it is allowable to claim the
serious attention of every intelligent being. Who can withhold anxiety
from an enquiry into the reality of the fact, as a fundamental part
of religion in every nation at some period of its history--or dare to
affect indifference as to the origin and meaning of so portentous and
horrible a rite? It will be our study to be as brief as possible in
conveying the information respecting both, which every man ought to
possess, who values correct opinions respecting the moral condition of
our nature. First, then, as to the universality of the practice.
This is of course to be ascertained from testimony. And perhaps on no
subject in the history of mankind, is there a more decided agreement
in the assertions of different witnesses. We shall run over the
various nations of the earth, of whom we have any thing like
satisfactory evidence. Here we avail ourselves of the labours of
several authors, as Dr Jenkin, De Paauw, Mr Bryant, Mr Parkhurst, Dr
Magee, and others. We commence with the Egyptians, of whom alone, we
believe, any doubt as to their being implicated in the practice has
been entertained. Thus Dr Forster, in his Observations on Cook's
Second Voyage, excepts them from his remark that all the ancient
nations sacrificed men, saying that where-ever it is affirmed in old
writers that these people were addicted to it, we are to understand
them as alluding to the Arabian shepherds, who at one time subdued
Egypt. Such _was_ the opinion of the writer of this note, but more
attentive enquiry has induced him, in this instance, to disregard
the distinction. Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch, quoted by Dr Magee,
mention their sacrificing red-haired men at the tomb of Osiris; and
from other sources, it appears that they had a custom of sacrificing
a virgin to the river Nile, by flinging her into its stream. The
Phoenicians, Canaanites, Moabites, Ammonites, and other neighbouring
people, were in the habit of sacrificing their children to their
idols, especially Moloch, on certain, calamities, and for various
reasons. See on this head some of the commentators on Scripture, as
Ainsworth on Levit. 18th, and still more particularly, consult Selecta
Sacra Braunii, a work formerly referred to. The Ethiopians, according
to the Romance of Heliodorus, admitted to be good authority as to
manners, &c. sacrificed their children to the sun and moon. The
Scythians, as related in the curious description given of them by
Herodotus, in Melpom. 62, particularly honoured the god Mars, by
sacrificing to him every hundredth captive. This they did, he says, by
cutting their throats, &c. The same author informs us of the Persians,
that they had a custom of burying persons alive, generally young ones
it would seem, in honour of the river Strymon, considered by them as a
deity. Polym. 114. In this he is confirmed by Plutarch. Other writers,
also, charge the Persians with using human sacrifices, as is shewn by
Dr Magee. The same may be said of the Chinese and Indians, according
to works mentioned by that gentleman. The case of the latter people
has been made notorious by Dr Buchanan. With respect to the Grecian
states in general, we have the most indubitable evidence of the
prevalence of supplicating their gods by human sacrifices, when going
against their enemies, as we see done by the Otaheitans, and on other
occasions. The Roman history, in its early state especially, abounds
in like examples, as every reader will be prepared to prove. The
practice was shockingly prevalent amongst the Carthaginians and other
inhabitants of Africa. The writer above quoted, specifies the works
which mention it, and has enumerated the authorities for asserting the
same of a great many other ancient people, as the Getae, Leucadians,
Goths, Gauls, Heruli, Britons, Germans; besides the Arabians, Cretans,
Cyprians, Rhodians, Phocians, and the inhabitants of Chios, Lesbos,
Tenedos, and Pella. The northern nations, without exception, are
chargeable with the same enormity. Of this, satisfactory evidence has
been adduced by Dr Magee from various authors, as Mr Thorkelin in his
Essay on the Slave Trade, Mallet, in his work on Northern Antiquities,
&c. And it is well known that the evil existed amongst the Mexicans,
Peruvians, and other people of America, in a degree surpassing its
magnitude in any other country. The perusal of the present narrative,
and of other accounts of voyages, will evince the continuance of the
practice throughout more recent people. On the whole then, we assert,
that the fact of the universality of human sacrifice amongst the
various nations of the world is perfectly well authenticated. Let
us next say a word or two respecting its origin and meaning. Here
we shall find it necessary to consider the origin and meaning of
sacrifice in general, as it is self-evident that the notion of
sacrifice is previous to the selection of the subjects for it, that
of human beings differing only in degree of worth or excellence from
those of any other kind. What then could induce mankind universally to
imagine, that sacrifices of animals could be agreeable to those beings
whom they judged superior to themselves, and the proper objects of
religious adoration? Reason gives no sanction to the practice; on the
contrary, most positively condemns it, as unnecessary, unjust, cruel,
and therefore more likely to incur displeasure than to obtain favour.
Besides, it must always have been expensive, and very often dangerous,
so that we must entirely discard the notion of a sense of interest
having given occasion to it, unless we can prove, that some valuable
consequence was to result from it. This however cannot be done without
first shewing its acceptableness to the Being whose regard is thereby
solicited. There remain, perhaps, only two other motives which we can
conceive to have given origin to the custom, viz. some instinctive
principle of our nature by which we are led to it, independent of
either reason or a sense of interest, as in the case of our appetites,
and a positive injunction or command to that effect by some being
who has the requisite authority over our conduct. The author so often
alluded to, Dr Magee, who has so profoundly considered this subject in
his work on Atonement, &c. rejects the former supposition, affirming
that we have no natural instinct to gratify, in spilling the blood
of an innocent creature; and, as he has also set aside the other
two notions, of course, he adopts the latter as sufficient for the
solution of the question. The writer concurs in this opinion, but at
the same time, he thinks it of the utmost importance to observe, that
as the original injunction or command was assuredly subsequent to the
sense of moral delinquency, and was directed in the view of a
relief to the conscience of man, so the continuance of the practice,
according to any perversion of the primitive and consequently proper
institution, is always connected with, and in fact implies, the
existence of a feeling of personal demerit and danger. In other words,
he conceives there is a suitableness betwixt the operation of man's
conscience and that effectual remedy for its uneasiness to which the
original institution of animal sacrifices pointed. But it does not
follow from this, that man's conscience or reason, or any thing else
within him, could ever have made the discovery of the remedy. A sense
of his need of it, would undoubtedly set him on various efforts
to relieve himself, but this, it is probable, would be as blind a
principle as the appetite of hunger, and as much would require aid
from an external power. Among the devices to which it might have
recourse, very possibly, the notion of giving up a darling object,
ought to be included; so it would appear, thought a king of Moab,
spoken of by Micah the prophet, chap. 6th, "Shall I give my first-born
for my transgression," &c. But even admitting this, we still see the
primary difficulty remaining, viz. what reason is there for imagining
that the gift in any shape, and more especially when slaughtered, will
be accepted? We are driven then to contemplate the revelation of the
divine will as the only adequate explanation; and this, it is evident,
we must consider as having been handed down by a corrupt process of
tradition, among the various nations of the earth. It would be easy to
urge arguments in behalf of this opinion. But already the matter has
gone beyond common bounds, and the writer dare not hazard another
remark. All he shall do then, is to commend this interesting topic to
the reader's attention, and to request, that due allowances be made
for the omission of certain qualifications which are requisite for
some of the remarks now made, but which the limits of the note could
not allow to be inserted.--E.]