OF THE SOUTH SEAS 357 



was divided into properties, as was the land. The Arii 

 had the reefs where the fish most abounded. 



*'War was declared with religious ceremonies. Sac- 

 rifices were the basis of these ceremonies, and a human 

 victim the most efficacious. The augurs examined the 

 entrails, the auspices, much as did the pagans of old. 

 Certain priests had certain duties. The Taliua Oripo^ 

 night runners, reported the movements of the enemy. 

 They were professional war spies, and they acquired a 

 marvelous ability. Sometimes they were able to lead 

 their party so as to surprise the enemy and slaughter 

 them, but usually there were preliminaries to war which 

 warned the other side. A herald was sent in the cos- 

 tume of a great warrior. He was of high birth or fa- 

 mous for his fighting. He delivered himself of his mis- 

 sion ceremoniously, and was never attacked. Every 

 locality had its war-chants, its songs of defiance. To- 

 day only a few fragments survive. Wars were waged 

 mostly on account of the ambitions of princes, as to-day 

 in Europe and Asia. But the effort of Christianity to 

 oust paganism in Tahiti brought about many sangui- 

 nary conflicts, and plainly God was with the mission- 

 aries, who caused the battles. In 1815 the Battle of 

 Feipi gave Tahiti to Pomare the Great, and to the Prot- 

 estant ministers, who were his backers. Over three 

 hundred were killed. A woman, the queen of the island 

 of Huahine, commanded in the absence of Pomare. 



"Sometimes after a battle the vanquished sent heralds 

 to signify their yielding and to know the wish of the 

 victor; they disbanded their troops, left their arms on 

 the field, and the war was over. Usually the defeated 



