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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
not his concern, and they should act as they 
pleased. They often seem to take a savage 
delight in murdering their slaves, in which they 
are unawed by the presence of strangers. A few 
years ago, a chief of the name of Tuma, killed 
with an iron bill-hook, a female slave, who was 
employed in washing linen at Mr. Hanson’s door, 
though Mr. Kendall and Mr. King, two of the 
Missionaries, interfered for her rescue. 
Their superstitions seem more vague and indis¬ 
tinct, and their system of religion more rude and 
unorganized, than that of most of the other inhabit¬ 
ants of the South Sea Islands, though many of 
their traditions are singular and interesting. Their 
temples are few and insignificant, their priests 
probably less numerous and influential, as a dis¬ 
tinct class, than those of Tahiti or Hawaii for¬ 
merly were ; their worship less frequent, cere¬ 
monial, and imposing, and also less sanguinary. 
I never heard of their offering human sacrifices. 
They believe in a future state, which they suppose 
will correspond in some degree with the present. 
Like some of the barbarous nations in Africa, 
they imagine that it is necessary the spirits of 
departed chiefs should be attended by the spirits 
of their slaves; this occasions the death of numbers 
of unhappy captives. The Missionaries observe, 
that it is a common practice to kill one or two 
slaves on such occasions. At one time, a child who 
resided in the immediate neighbourhood of the 
Missionaries was drowned : the father was ab¬ 
sent, the mother made great lamentation, and 
called upon the people around, to put to death 
some one, whose spirit should be a companion for 
that of her child, on its way to the rainga, 
(heaven.) An aged female slave, apprehensive of 
