114 



porter's jourival. 



they listened with much attention, appeared pleased with 

 the novelty of it, and agreed that our God must be greater 

 than theirs. Had a catholic priest been with me at the 

 moment, he might have made converts of every individual 

 in the valley. It is difficult to obtain a correct idea of 

 their religion. I do not believe that one native in a thou- 

 sand can explain the nature of it ; the priests themselves 

 appear much at a loss. Tawattaa attached himself to 

 Mr. Adams, having learnt that he was our priest. Mr. 

 Adams endeavoured to collect from him some notions of 

 his religion, and among other things inquired of him 

 whether, according to their belief, the body was translated 

 to the other world, or only the spirit. The priest, after a 

 considerable pause, at length replied, that the flesh and 

 bones went to the earth, but that all within went to the 

 sky. From his manner, however, the question seemed 

 greatly to embarrass him, and it appeared as though a new 

 field was opened to his view. 



I believe, from what I have seen and learnt of these 

 people, that their religion is the same as that of the Society 

 and Sandwich Islands ; a religion that not only perplexed 

 Captain Cook, but all the learned men who accompanied 

 him, and as may be naturally supposed, has greatly perplex- 

 ed me. Their priests are their oracles ; they are consi- 

 dered but little inferior to their gods ; to some they are 

 greatly superior, and after their death they rank with the 

 chief divinity. Besides the gods at the burying-place, or 

 morai, for so it is called by them, they have their house- 

 hold gods, as well as small gods, which are hung round 

 their necks, generally made of human bones. Others are 

 carved on the handles of their fans, on their stilts, their 

 canes, and more particularly on their war clubs. But 

 these gods are not held in any estimation ; they are sold, 

 exchanged, and given away with the same indifference as 

 any other object, and indeed the most precious reHc^ the 

 skulls and other bones of their relations, are disposed of 

 with equal indifference. 



When we were at Avar with the Typees, the Happahs 

 and Tayeehs made a strict search in the houses of the 

 enemy for the skulls of their ancestors, who had been 

 slain in battle, knowing where they were deposited. 

 Many were found, and the possessors seemed rejoiced 



