POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 241 
he could do this, the credit of the god and the influence 
of the priest were materially diminished. 
Sometimes the priest, after the first attempt, declared 
that no answer had been returned, and deferred till the 
following day the repetition of his enchantments. The 
report, however, that this measure had been resorted to, 
generally spread among the people, and the thief, alarmed 
at the consequences of having the gods engaged against 
him, usually returned the stolen property under cover of 
the night, and by this superseded the necessity for any 
further inquiries.—Like the oracles among the nations 
of antiquity, which gradually declined after the propaga¬ 
tion of Christianity, the divinations and spells of the 
South Sea Islanders have been laid aside since their 
reception of the gospel. The only oracle they now con¬ 
sult is the Sacred Volume | and multitudes, there is 
reason to believe, give to its divine communications un¬ 
reserved credence, and yield to its requirements the most 
conscientious obedience. 
2 I 
ir. 
