1777 THE PACIFIC OCEAN. S ( J 



sacrifices are offered ; which, for a considerable ex- 

 tent* 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 re- 

 lics 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 sup- 

 posed to be sometimes the residence of their divin- 

 ities, 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 sacri- 

 fice was offered, with a kind of platform at one side. 

 On this are laid the skulls 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 in- 

 violable 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 



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