Feb. 

 1826. 



244 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap. tree. To these symbols they address their prayers 

 as long as they remained in favour ; but, like the 

 girl in China, who, when disappointed by her lover, 

 pulled down the brazen image and whipped it, these 

 people when dissatisfied with their deity, no longer 

 acknowledged his power, and substituted some other 

 idol. There were times, however, when they feared 

 its anger, and endeavoured to appease it with cocoa- 

 nuts ; but I did not hear of any human sacrifices 

 being offered. They appeared to entertain the 

 Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of the 

 soul, and supposed the first vessel which they saw 

 to be the spirit of one of their relations lately de- 

 ceased. The compartments allotted to the dead are 

 here tabooed ; and the bodies, first wrapped in mats, 

 are placed under ground. As the soul is supposed 

 for a time to frequent these places, provision and 

 water are placed near the spot for its use ; and it 

 would be thought unkind, or that some evil would 

 befal the person whose business it is to provide 

 them, if these supplies were neglected. 



The manufactures of these people are the same 

 with those of all the other islanders, and are only 

 such as nature renders necessary, consisting of mats, 

 maros, baskets, fishing-tackle, &c. They have no 

 occupation beyond the manufacture of these few 

 articles, and providing for their daily support. On 

 interrogating the chief how he passed the day, he 

 said he rose early and ate his breakfast ; he then in- 

 voked his deity ; sometimes he went to fish or catch 

 turtle ; but more generally passed his time under 

 the shade of the cocoa-nut trees : in the evening 

 he ate again, and went to sleep. 



The natives of this island, according to informa- 



