76 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
lobsters, welks, a large species of cham, and several 
varieties of echinis, or sea-egg. Numbers of turtle 
are also found among the reefs and low coralline or 
sandy islands. The turtle was formerly considered 
sacred ; a part of everyone taken was offered to the 
gods, and the rest dressed with sacred fire, was eaten 
only by the king and chiefs; and then, I think, either 
within the precincts of the temple, or in its imme¬ 
diate vicinity; now they are eaten by whomsoever 
they are caught. Most of their fish is very good, 
and furnishes a dish of which we never tired. 
The rivers furnish few fresh-water fish ; eels are 
the principal, and they are very fine. Eels being 
great favourites, are sometimes tamed, and fed 
till they attain an enormous size. Taaroarii had 
several in different parts of the island. These pets 
were kept in large holes, two or three feet deep, 
partially filled with water. On the sides of these 
pits, the eels formed or found an aperture in a hori¬ 
zontal direction, in which they generally remained, 
excepting when called by the person who fed them. 
I have been several times with the young chief, 
when he has sat down by the side of the hole, and, 
by giving a shrill sort of whistle, has brought out an 
enormous eel, which has moved about the surface 
of the water, and eaten with confidence out of its 
master’s hand. Connected with the fresh-water 
fish, a phenomenon is often observed, for which the 
natives are puzzled to account. In the hollows of 
the rocks, and in other places, to which they sup¬ 
pose the sea and the river never gain access, and 
where the water collected is entirely what falls from 
the clouds, small but regularly formed fish are 
sometimes found. The people have frequently ex¬ 
pressed their surprise at finding them, and appeared 
to wonder how they ever came there. They call 
