90 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OP 



fishing, the arrival of ships, and other blessings they may desire at 

 the moment, and which it is believed to be in the power of the gods 

 to give them. 



The priest makes known the oracles of the gods, which he receives 

 in the following manner. On the sandy beach on the weather or 

 eastern side of the island, there are many houses, called ba-ni-mota, 

 or bota-ni-anti. These are of the usual size of the dwelling-houses, 

 but the walls are of coral stone, and they have no loft. The doorway 

 is always in the west end, because the Kainakaki, the country of 

 souls, lies in that direction. In the centre of this house, a stout pillar 

 of coral stone is built up to the height of three and a half feet, having 

 in its middle a hollow of about a foot in diameter ; to this the priest 

 puts his ear, and pretends to receive the instructions of his god. 



On Kuria there are six of these houses, and besides there are many 

 hollow pillars standing uncovered along the beach, as it is not deemed 

 necessary that the oracle should always have a covering. 



On Makin there is no regular order of priests, and the father of the 

 family, as in the case of the absence of the priest on the other islands, 

 officiates. On this island they have a class of men, which are un- 

 known to the others, conjurors, and persons who pretend to have 

 intercourse with spirits. 



The natives of the group put great faith in omens and charms. 

 The most common mode of divination they call kaina, which is per- 

 formed with the sprout or top of a young cocoa-nut tree. The 

 leaves of this are doubled in after a particular fashion, and accord- 

 ing as the folds coincide or not it is deemed a good or a bad omen. 

 When these folds do not coincide, they believe that one of their gods 

 is probably offended, and proceed to find out whether he be so or not, 

 by taking a cocoa-nut that is kept for the purpose, which they spin 

 like a top before the sacred" stone or altar : if it falls with the upper 

 end towards the stone, it is a favourable omen ; if otherwise, the god 

 is angry, and must be appeased by offerings and prayers. 



At times they pretend to receive an intimation that their ancestors 

 are displeased, in which case their skulls are taken down and propi- 

 tiated by offerings. 



They believe also in a species of cursing, called wainak, which con- 

 sists in invoking or praying to Death, in order to procure illness or 

 the displeasure of the gods on any one. 



Shooting stars are deemed ominous of death to some member 

 of the family, which may occupy the part of the council-house 



