RACES BIBLIOGRAPHY COMMITTEE. 325 
At Mangaia, and, I believe, the other islands of the Hervey 
Group, it was customary to prepare the body in this wise: The 
long spear, 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 the feast. 
The body was cooked, as pigs now are, in an oven specially set 
apart, red-hot basaltic stones, wrapped in 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 Group, 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 warrior wished his son to partake of human 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 Rarotonga, cooked his only child (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 
practice. Yet, after a time, they learned to giory in their shame. 
For many generations after the settlement of the islands 
cannibalism was rarely practised. Native traditions distinctly 
informs zen it was first sanctioned by the authority of leading 
men, and thus grew to be customary. Strange that on Mangaia 
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 Mangaia would have relapsed into 
cannibalism. The deadlock was this :—Tead would only consent 
to beat the drums of peace on condition that his two maternal 
uncles, the leading vietorious warrior chiefs (Tead being himself 
amongst the vanquished), were slain, and laid on the altar of 
Rongo as the price of peace! It was for this that Teaé lost his 
rank in after days. 
Deformed children are very kindly treated indeed, although, , 
perhaps, the deformity was occasioned by the cruel treatment of 
the parents in a burst of passion. 
A single child is universally carried astride on the 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. 
