THE TWO RACES WHICH PEOPLED POLYNESIA. 
47 
The high place and grove worship are clearly to be traced 
throughout Polynesia. The grove was the most sacred spot 
known to the Maori ; it was rendered especially so by being 
used as a place of sepulture for their chiefs, and not only 
were they interred amidst its trees, but even on stages placed 
amongst their branches and in their hollow trunks. Some- 
times they were deposited in canoes, elevated on poles, as if 
the double memory of the grove and deluge were thus pre- 
served. Even the living in trees, as still practised by many 
tribes, may perhaps be traced to this form of worship. 
One connecting link between the American and the an- 
cient black race is seen in the character of the Mexican 
idols and altars, on which the serpent is sculptured in a most 
extraordinary manner. The grand altar, exhumed by Mr. 
Bullock, of which he made a cast, was almost covered with 
serpents, writhing about in every possible form, and clearly 
marked the character of their worship. That even there the 
African should have early found his way is not improbable. 
The worship of evil spirits under the form of serpents and 
reptiles was almost universal throughout the southern hemis- 
phere. In India Krishna is represented standing on a 
serpent which is biting his heel, and he as bruising the 
serpent's head. The Mexicans, like the Hindus, kept live 
serpents as household gods. Amongst the paintings of the 
Aztecs found in Mexico, two have been preserved by M. 
Aglio, in which a figure is drawn smiting a great serpent 
on the head, whilst plate 74 of the Borgian collection, 
represents a figure victoriously smiting the serpent's head, 
and at the same time the serpent is biting his heel.* 
A recent hieroglyphic from Egypt clearly points to the 
quarter from whence these were derived ; it unmistakeably 
refers to the serpent tempting our first parents. 
The belief is evidently as ancient as the time of Job, that the 
old serpent, the devil, afflicts men with disease. He would 
thus have visited Job but for the Lord making a hedge about 
him ; immediately however, that for a time was removed, he 
afflicted him with painful boils, from the sole of the foot to 
* Rev. J. Titcombe. 
