370 RELIGION. 



they regarded as a place where there would be continual feasts 

 of fish and sweet potatoes ; where they would be always fight- 

 ing, and always victorious. Whether they can be said to have 

 had a religion, or not, depends upon the meaning we attach 

 to the word. They believed in the immortality of the soul, 

 but not in the resurrection of the body, an article of faith 

 which, as Mr. Marsden tells us, the missionaries could not 

 induce them to accept. They had no idea of an Almighty 

 God, but believed in a spirit named Atoua, who was a cruel 

 cannibal like themselves. When any one was ill, Atoua was 

 supposed to be devouring his inside, and they endeavoured 

 to frighten him away by curses and threats.* This we may 

 regard as a kind of negative worship ; but on other occasions 

 they certainly offered human and other sacrifices, in the vain 

 hope of appeasing his wrath. They did not worship idols, 

 but many of the priests seem to have really thought that 

 they had been in actual communication with the Atoua ; and 

 some of the early missionaries were inclined to believe that 

 Satan may have been permitted to practise a deception upon 

 them, in order to strengthen his power. However extra- 

 ordinary this may appear, the same was the case in Tahiti. 

 " In addition/' says Mr. Ellis, " to the firm belief which 

 many who were sorcerers, or agents of the infernal powers, 

 and others who were the victims of incantation, still main- 

 tain, some of the early missionaries are disposed to think 

 this was the fact."t Even Mr. Ellis himself was of the 

 same opinion. With such low ideas of the Divinity, it is 

 perhaps not surprising that some of the chiefs were looked 

 upon as gods, even during life. Watches and white men 

 also were at first regarded as deities ; the latter not perhaps 

 unnaturally, as being armed with thunder and lightning. 



The cannibalism of the New Zealander was a very different 

 habit from that of the Feegeean. No doubt he enjoyed his 



* Missionary Register, Nov. 1819. f Polynesian Researches, vol. ii., p. 226. 



