422 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
matter was always referred to the king and chiefs, 
for whose consideration he was directed to present 
it at a convenient season, unless the chiefs, who 
were generally present, wished it to be then dis¬ 
cussed. 
One of the most curious and interesting topics 
of conversation, frequently introduced by the more 
thinking or inquisitive among them, was, the seat 
of the affections, and the locality of intellect. 
Their ideas and ours were totally at variance on 
this point; and, from the very nature of the sub¬ 
ject, it was impossible to demonstrate the accuracy 
of one or the other. No part in the system of 
Drs. Gall and Spurzheim ever obtained among 
them; and so far from being phrenologists, they 
did not imagine the brain to be even the seat of 
thought. The frequent eulogy pronounced by us 
on an oration or action, in which understanding 
and right feeling are developed, viz. 66 that it is 
creditable alike to the head and the heart” of the 
speaker or actor, would have been altogether unin¬ 
telligible to them. The only exception to the pre¬ 
vailing opinion, which deprives the head or brain 
of all connexion with the exercise of the mind, is 
the term for headach, which is tahoa , and is also 
used to signify confusion of noise, and perplexity 
from attention to a multitude of objects at the 
same time. 
The phraseology employed in speaking of the 
seat of the intellect and the affections, presents 
another analogy between the idiom of their lan¬ 
guage, and that of the ancient Hebrews. When 
speaking of mental or moral exercises, they inva¬ 
riably employ terms for which the English word 
u bowels” is perhaps the best translation : hence 
they say, te manao o te obu , or i roto i te obu; 
