DIVINATION. 
303 
they understand little about taking aim, and often 
fire without placing the butt-end of the musket 
against the shoulder, or presenting their piece. 
They grasp it in the most awkward manner, hold¬ 
ing it above the head, or by the side, and in this 
singular position fire it off. I was once with a 
party of natives, when one of them fired at a bul¬ 
lock but a few yards distant, and missed it. 
War was seldom proclaimed or commenced with 
promptitude, being always considered as one of the 
most important matters in which the nation could 
engage. Hence the preparatory deliberations were 
frequent and protracted. 
The greatest importance was always attached to 
the will of the gods : if they were favourable, con¬ 
quest was regarded as sure ; but if they were un¬ 
favourable, defeat, if not death, was as certain. 
Divination, or enchantment, was employed for the 
purpose of knowing their ultimate decision, and at 
these times they always pretended to follow impli¬ 
citly supernatural intimation, though all this jug¬ 
gling and contrivance was designed only to deceive 
the people into a persuasion that the god sanc¬ 
tioned the views of the king and government. The 
divinations were connected with the offerings, and 
the success or failure of the expedition was often 
chiefly augured from the muscular action in the 
heart or liver of the animal offered, the involuntary 
acts and writhing contortions of the limbs of the 
human sacrifice in the agonies of death; or the 
appearance of the slaughtered victim, after it had 
been placed upon the altar. 
When the murder and destruction of actual con¬ 
flict terminated, and the vanquished sought secu¬ 
rity in flight, or in the natural strong-holds of the 
mountains, some of their conquerors pursued them 
