POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
229 
The use of the portable spittoon by the Sandwich 
Island chiefs^ in which the saliva was carefully deposited, 
carried by a confidential servant, and buried every morn¬ 
ing, and the custom of the Tahitians in scrupulously 
burning or burying the hair when cut off, and also 
furnishing to each individual his distinct basket for food, 
originated in their dread of sorcery by any of these 
means. When the tara had been performed, and the 
tubu secured, the effects were violent, and death speedy. 
The most acute agonies and terrific distortions of the 
body were often experienced; the wretched sufferer 
appeared in a state of frantic madness, or, as they ex¬ 
pressed it, torn by the evil spirit, while he foamed and 
writhed under his dreadful power. 
On one occasion, Mr. Nott sent two native boys, who 
were his servants, from Eimeo to Tahiti, for taro^ or 
arum-roots. The man, under whose care it was growing, 
was a sorcerer: he was from home, I believe—but the 
boys, according to the directions they had received, went 
to the field, and procured the roots for which they had 
been sent. Before they had departed, the person who 
had charge of the field returned, and was so enraged, 
that he pronounced the most dreadful imprecations upon 
one, if not both of them, threatening them with the 
pifao. The boys returned to Eimeo, but apparently took 
no notice of the threatening. One of them was shortly 
afterwards taken ill; and the imprecation of the sorcerer 
being made known to his friends, it was immediately 
concluded that he was possessed by the evil spirit. 
Alarming symptoms rapidly increased, and some of the 
Missionaries went to see him in this state. On entering 
the place where he lay, a most appalling spectacle was 
presented. The youth was lying on the ground, writhing 
