A TAPUED CHIEF EATING WITH A FERN-STALK. 
CHAPTER IV. 
TAPU. 
This singular Institution, which pervades the entire extent of 
Polynesia, may perhaps be most correctly defined as A reli¬ 
gious observance, established for political purposes. It con¬ 
sisted in making any person, place, or thing sacred for a longer 
or shorter period; if it were a person, during the time of the 
Tapu, he could not be touched by any one, or even put his own 
hand to his head himself; but he was either fed by another 
who was appointed for the purpose, or took up his food with his 
mouth from a small stage, with his hands behind him, or by 
a fern stalk, and thus conveyed it to his mouth ; in drinking, 
the water was poured in a very expert manner from a calabash 
into his mouth, or on his hands, when he needed it for washing, 
so that he should not touch the vessel, which otherwise could 
not have been used again for ordinary purposes.* Places were 
* A similar custom prevailed in Israel—see 2 Kings iii., 11. 
