230 THE CBUISE OF THE ' GURAQOA.' 



must ajiply, if we would know the real facts respecting 

 these native populations, whose character no doubt fre- 

 quently suffers from that sort of misrepresentation, which is 

 one of the forms of a species of deception well known to 

 history by the name of ' pious fraud.' 



There is scarcely anything ascertained respecting the reli- 

 gion of these islanders, save that they believe in another life ; 

 that they adore two divinities, Mauitikitiki and Tamakaia, 

 whom they regard as the creators of all things ; that they 

 have no idols, and invoke the spirits of the dead ; that they 

 place the other world in the west, and give it the name of 

 Lakinatoto Like the natives of the other islands, belonging 

 to the New Hebrides, they attribute diseases and death to 

 the occult power of sorcerers, who are, probably, in point of 

 fact, no other than their priests. No sooner is a man taken 

 somewhat seriously ill than the hrst thing he does is to try 

 to ascertain who can be the cause of his indisposition, and 

 as soon as he has discovered this, he endeavours to appease 

 him by presents, in the hope that he will conjure away the 

 evil he has laid upon him ; and as there are always plenty 

 of people ready to turn this credidity to account, then 

 never is much difficidty in finding some one who will make 

 himself responsible for the cliarm. 



It was about the end of the year 1845 that some natives 

 of the Samoan group came and tried to sow the first seeds 

 of Christianity among these Vate savages. Uj) to nearly the 

 time of our visit these teachers had maintained their ground 

 in the face of all sorts of difficidties, and it was but recently 



