4Di MORAl, OR CEMtiTKY AND TEMPLE. 



SECTION VII. 



l/o rat, or Cemetery and Temple of the Australasian Islands. 



ONE of the most singular discoveries which occurred to Captain 

 Cook at Otahoite, was the sacred edifices which the inhabitants 

 denominated Morais, and which were appropriated to tho double 

 purpose of places of worship, and sepulchres: and the name h:is 

 since appeared to the learned world as extraordinary as the fact ; 

 for the word Mor-ai is literally a Greek compound Mop a<o, " the 

 region of death ; though it is probable that the Australasians, as 

 well as the Greeks, derived the term from the Sanscrit, in which it 

 is equally to be found. 



reached England before (he 1st of July, 1810, when he had occasion tii-i <<> 

 notice (he subject, he does not know. But he has it now in his power (o com- 

 municate to the public the following authentic information, which, in justice 

 to the honorable Court of Directors, as to the part they have (aken in (hi- 'nat- 

 ter, ought to be known. 



When (he Bengal government first announced (heir regulation of (he 3d of 

 April, 1806, (o the Court of Directors, (which they did by letter, dated 16(h 

 May, 1806,) they communicated their intention of making the follow in_' alte- 

 rations therein ; namely to permit " certain officers of the temple to collect 

 their fees directly from the pilgrims agreeably to former u^a^e, instead of re- 

 ceiving the amount of those fees from the public treasury : to allow the Pundit-, 

 who arc to superintend the affairs of (he temple, (o be elected by part'mil.ir 

 classes of prisons attached (o it, instead of being appointed by (lie govern- 

 ment ; and to vest in the Pundits so elected, the entire controiil over the tenr 

 pie and i(s ministers and officers, as well as over the funds alloHcd for its ex- 

 pei.ses ; restricting the interference of the officers of (Jovcrunvnt to the pre- 

 servation of the peace of the town, to the protection of pilgrims from oppro- 

 lion and extortion, and to the collection of the tax to be appropriated (o the 

 use of government." 



When this subject came under the notice of the Court of Directors in the 

 year isos. (hey thought it proper to propose a distinct statement of their opinions 

 upon ii to the Bengal government ; and they piepared a letter, wherein they 

 enjoined, th the government should not elect the priests who were to superin- 

 tend the a.Uirs of the Temple, or exercise a contioul over its ministers and offi- 

 cers, or take the management of it funds ; and that the exercise of the authority of 

 the government should extent! only to objects falling directly within the province 

 of the magistrates, as the care of the police, the administration of justice, and 

 the col ccticn ( f such a tax, professedly for these ends, as should be reu/ irtd for 

 th.n duvaiuinnii-iii of them ; not subjecting the Hindoos to any tax for act 

 the place ot devotion, or under the notion ot granting them a religious privilege, 

 r ot tolerating idolatry, in consideration of money. The CouK of Directors, howt 



