212 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the pig to deaths washing the carcase with the blood, and 
then placing it in a crouching position on the altar. 
Offerings and sacrifices of every kind, whether dressed 
or not, were placed upon the altar, and remained there, 
until by decomposition they were consumed. The heat 
of the climate, and frequent rain, accelerated this process, 
yet the atmosphere in the vicinity of the maraes was 
frequently most offensive. 
Altar^ and Offerings. 
Animals, fruits, &c. were not the only articles pre¬ 
sented to their idols; the most affecting part of their 
sacrificing was the frequent immolation of human victims. 
These sacrifices, in the technical language of the priests, 
were called Jish. They were offered in seasons of war, 
at great national festivals, during the illness of their 
rulers, and on the erection of their temples. I have been 
informed by several of the inhabitants of Maeva, that 
the foundation of some of the buildings, for the abode 
of their gods, was actually laid in human sacrifices; that 
every pillar, supporting the roof of one of the sacred 
houses at Maeva, was planted upon the body of a man, 
who had been offered as a victim to the sanguinary deity 
about to be deposited there. The unhappy wretches 
selected were either captives taken in war, or individuals 
who had rendered themselves obnoxious to the chiefs or 
