EQUATOEIAL POLYNESIA. 



479 



supreme. This law of taboo, which regulated all movements and every individual 

 act, often pressed hard even on its promulgators, and the terrible penalties it 

 enforced against the contumacious certainly contributed to increase the ferocity of 

 the oceanic populations. Almost the only punishment was death, and human 

 sacrifices in honour of the gods were the crowning religious rite. In some places 

 the victims were baked on the altars, and their flesh wrapped in taro leaves was 

 distributed amongst the warriors. 



Yet despite the little vakie attached to human life, the death of adult men gave 

 rise to much mourning and solemn obsequies. Nor was this respect for the departed 

 an empty ceremonial, for the ancestors of the Polynesians were raised to the rank 



Fig. 211. — Religions of Oceania. 

 Scale 1 : 150,000.000. 



'^.C 



40' 





'? i^f 





fv:- •' 



; .C.P 

 'â 



lOO' Meridian oF Greenwicln 



AO 



150° 



A 



Aniini ata 



B 



Brahmanists. 

 CP 

 Catholics more numerous than Protestants 



P 

 Protestants. 



M C 



Mohammedans. Catholics. 



PC 

 Protestants more numerous than Catholics. 



1,800 Miles. 



of gods, taking their place with those who hurled the thunderbolt and stirred up 

 the angry waters. A certain victorious hero thus became the God of War, and had 

 to be propitiated with supplications. But the common folk and captives were held 

 to be " soulless," although a spirit was attributed to nearly all natural objects. 



But for about half a century nearly all the Polynesians have practised some 

 form of Christianity. The work of conversion was begun in 1797 by the establish- 

 ment of the Protestant station at Tahiti, whence the missionaries gradually spread 

 their influence throughout Polynesia. They were followed by the Catholics, who 

 though less numerous and possessing smaller revenues, have everywhere made 

 proselytes ; in some places, and especially in the French possessions, they even 

 already outnumber the Protestants. Civil strife has often been stirred up by the 

 friction of the rival religions. "Where the priests hold undisputed sway theocratic 



