POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
157 
Portions of scripture history and biography were 
among the most engaging subjects of inquiry, especially 
those contained in the Old Testament. Those in the 
New Testament also interested them. On one occasion, 
they asked what the heavy burdens were that our Lord 
accused the Scribes and Pharisees of binding on men’s 
shoulders ; and what was meant by Let the dead bury 
their dead.” At another time they inquired who were 
the Scribes, so often mentioned by the Saviour; and 
asked if they were the secretaries of the Auxiliary Mis¬ 
sionary Societies in Jerusalem ? &c. This arose from 
the circumstance of the word, which in English is trans¬ 
lated scribe, being in Tahitian rendered writer, and the 
secretaries of the native Missionary societies being the 
only individuals among them thus designated. 
The usages and customs prevailing among the ancient 
Jews were often topics of conversation, and more than 
once they have, with evident sincerity, inquired if their 
repentance would not be more acceptable to God, were 
they to rend their garments, and cover their heads with 
ashes, or gird themselves with sackcloth, than simply 
expressing their penitence when employed in prayers. 
This question, with those frequently asked relative to the 
consequences of mistakes or interruption in prayer, 
probably arose from the impression left by the system 
of idolatry they had so recently abandoned, whose only 
excellency consisted in the correctness of mere external 
form and ceremony. 
In all their idol worship, however large or costly the 
sacrifices that had been offered, and however near its 
close the most protracted ceremony might be, if the 
priest omitted or misplaced any word in the prayers 
with which it was always accompanied, or if his atten- 
