THE ABORIGINES OP THE ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 61 



Dr. J. Fraser. in a paper read before this Society in 

 Jaim.arv, 1 (S88, on the Aborigines of Austraha, says that the 

 songs at their dances Avere given them by Baianiai, the Great 

 Creator, that the sacred wand was also given to them by 

 him, and that the ground on Avhioh Bora, their sacred 

 ceremonies, are performed is Baiamai's ground, who sees all 

 and knows all (Trauf!., vol. xxii, p. 155). 



In the Journal of Tuerman and Bennet (vol. ii, p. 266) 

 likewise, the author says that near Sydney the natives had 

 a crude tradition of a good spirit, though they disregarded 

 him. 



As to New Zealand, autliorities differ; the Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica (art. ■' New Zealand"), saying that the JMaoris had 

 no idea of a Supreme Being, but believed that all things 

 were produced by generation from darkness and nothingness ; 

 while Malte Brun (Geographi/, vol. ii, p. 38), says that the 

 inhabitants of that island believe in a Supreme Deity; 

 and Cook in his voyages (vol. i, p. 103) agrees with the 

 latter. 



The Fijians give Ndengei as the name of the God most 

 generally known among them, Avho seems to be an abstract 

 idea of eternal existence, Avitli no emotion or sensation, but 

 that of hunger, although he was the Creator of men.* 



The Tongas give Tuifa Bolotoo as the name of their one 

 God, the Supreme Being of the j)lace.t 



The inhabitants of the Samoan Islands, too, believe in a 

 good spirit, thougli they seem to prefer to propitiate the evil 

 spirit, rather than to adore the good one. 



Rev. W. Ellis in his Polynesian Researches (chap, xiii, p. 249) 

 gives the name of the Supreme Being of the Tahitians as 

 Taaroa, the Tanaroa of the Hawaians, and the Tangaroa of 

 the Western Islands, and he says that he is generally spoken 

 of as the first and principal god, uncreated and existing from 

 the beginning, or from the time he emerged from Po or the 

 Avorld of darkness. The Leeward Islands generally make 

 him eternal. Malte Brun {Geociraphy, vol. ii, p. 406) adds 

 that they believe in a sort of Trinity, Tani-te-medooa, the 

 Father ; Aro mattow toua ti te meicli, God in the Sen ; and 

 Taroa mannau te hooa, the Bu'd or Spirit. He adds that the 

 ]\Iarquesans have the same religious ceremonies as the 

 Tahitians. 



* Fiji and Fijians, J. Calvert, chap. 7. 



t Coral Islands, H. S. Cooper, vol. 2, p. 153. 



