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insult, which the party using the imprecation imagined 
they had received; and the poor people entertained the 
greatest horror of this mode of vengeance, as it was 
generally considered fatal, unless, by engaging a more 
powerful demon, its effects could be counteracted. 
This dreadful system of iniquity, and demon tyranny, 
was complex and intricate. The party using sorcery 
against another, whose destruction they designed, em¬ 
ployed a tahutahu, or a taata-obu-tara, whose influence 
with the demons procured their co-operation in the mur¬ 
derous design, and was supposed to induce the or 
spirit, to enter into the victim of their malice. 
Prayers, offerings, and the accustomed mysteries, 
however numerous, were not sufficient for this purpose. 
It was necessary to secure something connected with the 
body of the object of vengeance. The parings of the 
nails, a lock of the hair, the saliva from the mouth, or 
other secretions from the body, or else a portion of the 
food which the person was to eat. This was considered 
as the vehicle by which the demon entered the person, 
who afterwards became possessed. It was called the 
tubu, growing, or causing to grow. When procured, the 
tara was performed; the sorcerer took the hair, saliva, 
or other substance that had belonged to his victim, to 
his house or marae, performed his incantations over it, 
and offered his prayers; the demon was then supposed 
to enter the tubu, and through it the individual, who 
afterwards became possessed. If it was a portion of 
food, similar ceremonies were observed, and the piece of 
bread-fruit, fish, &c., supposed by this process to be 
impregnated by the demon, was placed in the basket of 
the person for whom it was designed; and, if eaten, 
inevitable destruction followed. 
