VIII THE EVOLUTION OF THEOLOGY 331 



entitled Nineteen Years in Polynesia (p. 241), 

 I find it said of the Samoans (near neighbours o*f 

 the Tongans) : 



The offerings were principally cooked food. As in ancient 

 Greece so in Samoa, the first cup was in honour of the god. It 

 was either poured out on the ground or waved towards the 

 heavens, reminding us again of the Mosaic ceremonies. The 

 chiefs all drank a portion out of the same cup, according to 

 rank ; and after that, the food brought as an offering was 

 divided and eaten "there before the Lord." 



In Tonga, when they consulted a god who had 

 a priest, the latter, as representative of the god, 

 had the first cup ; but if the god, like Ta-li-y-Too- 

 boo, -had no priest, then the chief place was left 

 vacant, and was supposed to be occupied by the 

 god himself. When the first cup of kava was 

 filled, the mataboole who acted as master of the 

 ceremonies said, " Give it to your god," and it was 

 offered, though only as a matter of form. In 

 Tonga and Samoa there were many sacred places 

 or morals, with houses of the ordinary con- 

 struction, but which served as temples in 

 consequence of being dedicated to various gods ; 

 and there were altars on which the sacrifices were 

 offered ; nevertheless there were few or no images. 

 Mariner mentions none in Tonga, and the Samoans 

 seem to have been regarded as no better than 

 atheists by other Polynesians because they had 

 none. It does not appear that either of these 

 peoples had images even of their family or ancestral 

 gods. 



