THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



505 



out, crescent-shaped objects surmounted by straight continuations 



of the posts. 



The gods are all shown with widely-open mouths, so that 

 their faces assume a sort of crescent shape, and on comparing 



WOODEN GODS, FROM ELLIS'S SKETCH OF THE HARE O KEAVE. 



Showing the gradations from the form of the human face to that of the crescent or hook. 



them with the posts in question, it seems almost certain that 

 these latter really represented also gods' faces, according to a 

 sort of conventional mode of rendering them, or symbolic 

 representation. Some of the images with well-marked human 

 figures are shown with tall feather crowns on their heads, and 

 together with them are figures with a mere crescent, to represent 

 the face, yet wearing exactly similar crowns. One image has a 

 simple crescent to represent the head, closely like that of the 

 Hook-ornament. 



A further figure of a Sandwich Island Deity, also from the 

 writings of Mr. Ellis,* bears out this conclusion, as does also one 

 of the plates of Captain Cook's "Third Voyage,"f in which Cook is 

 shown seated at the base of a wooden idol, in order that he may 

 be worshipped by the sacrifice of a pig. The idol is post-like in 

 appearance, and with a wide crescent-shaped opening for 

 a mouth. No doubt many of these post-like images were, when 

 in use, decorated with ornaments and cloths, and thus, as in 

 Tahiti, made to look more human in appearance. 



* " Narrative of a Tour through Hawai, &c," p. 437. By William 

 Ellis. 2nd Ed. London, Fisher & Son, 1827. 



t " A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean." PI. 60, Vol. Ill, p. 13. Cook 

 and King. London, G. Nicol, 1785. 



