GENERAL ACCOUNT HEDLEY. 49 



his death, his successor was generally, but not necessarily, his 

 brother or son. If one failed to satisfy the people, he was 

 deposed and another chosen. This man was regarded as very 

 holy. He dwelt with his family apart from the rest of the 

 people. His house was generally built on piles over the shallow 

 water in the lagoon. He never worked, but he and his family 

 were fed by the community. He gained power over individuals 

 and abundance of food, by promising the favour of the gods to 

 those who treated him well, and denouncing their anger upon 

 those who were niggardly and brought him little food. When 

 the gods communicated with him he pretended to be possessed,* 

 threw himself into all kinds of attitudes, raved, foamed at the 

 mouth, and his eyes glared wildly. Then he pronounced the 

 oracle to the people who had assembled around at a respectful 

 distance. On two islands, the places where the houses of the 

 priests stood were pointed out to me, and also the places where 

 the people congregated. The distance between them could not 

 have been less than two hundred yards. The priest performed 

 incantations before the people went out to fish ; and to the anger 

 or favour of the gods the success or non-success of a fishing 

 expedition was ascribed. On the northern islands there are 

 several priests ; they mix with the people, and seem to be far 

 less exclusive than the single priest was on the southern 

 islands." 



"The natives of Niutao," writes Dr. Gill,f "were accustomed 

 to worship their heathen deities in a marae in the centre of the 

 village. Of this great marae only one stone is now left, repre- 

 senting Tangaloa, god of heaven and principal deity of Polynesia. 

 . . . . Only forty [Aug., 1872,] still adhered to their ancient 

 faith, and these were easily distinguished by a single sacred leaf 



of the coconut worn on the left arm Half a mile 



distant in the bush is their ancient burial ground. Adjoining it 

 is their pantheon, consisting of an oval, low enclosure, composed 

 of flat stones, some higher than others, each representing a 

 distinct divinity ; so that the sacred men standing inside the 

 enclosure the people of course outside could worship all the 



gods at once Returning to the village, we entered 



an idol-house. The god is the central side post, stouter than the 

 rest and crooked. To the crooked post utterly destitute of 

 ornament three green coconuts and a sacred leaflet were offered { 

 morning and evening. On these 'occasions the worshipper (with 



*" When the priest on Vaitupu became ' red,' by which they meant 

 flushed and excited, it was a sign that the god had something to say." 

 (Turner loc. cit., p. 284.) For a description of Tongan priests in 

 religious frenzy see Mariner loc. cit., p. 106. 



fGill loc. cit., p. 12. 



JThis act is illustrated by a woodcut in the text on p. 15. 



