66 HA W All AN Q VILE B OK 



and fifty feet long, one hundred and fifty wide, its walls 

 thirty feet thick at the base, eight at the top and fourteen 

 feet high. The walls are partly in ruins. Tradition says 

 the stones for the construction of these monstrous walls 

 were passed from the valley of Polulu, twelve miles 

 distant, by a file of workmen standing in battle array 

 the whole distance. Three altars stand within the sa- 

 cred enclosure, and niches may yet be discovered in the 

 wall where the idols stood. That in the north-eastern 

 corner was for the great god of the temple. ' Human 

 sacrifices were favorite oblations both to the deities 

 loved or hated. Men were immolated to avert conta- 

 gious disease, to secure victory before war, to celebrate 

 triumph at its conclusion ; in fact, in the absence of 

 cattle, sheep and goats, man was the handiest blood-sac- 

 rifice, and humanity perished by hecatombs. 



The victims were permitted to remain on the central 

 altar during two whole days. On the morning of the 

 third day, and when putrefaction had commenced, the 

 bodies were removed to a large, flat stone on the 

 outside of the temple. This stone was placed near 

 the east corner of the north wall. Its dimensions 

 were seven feet long by five wide and it was slightly 

 concave. It was sacred to the purposes of immo- 

 lation. When the victims above alluded to, were 

 placed upon it, the flesh was stripped from the bones 

 and the latter all separated. Both flesh and bones were 

 then carried down to the sea and thoroughly washed. 

 On being conveyed back to the temple, the bones were 

 tied up in bundles and the flesh was consumed to ashes 

 at the back of the altars. 



