INFUSION OF DIVINE PROPERTIES. 339 
to these the feathers were attached on the out¬ 
side by small fibrous bands. In return for the 
feathers thus united to the god, the parties received 
two or three of the same kind, which had been 
deposited on a former festival in the inside of the 
wooden or inner fold of the cinet idol. These 
feathers were thought to possess all the properties 
of the images to which they had been attached, 
and a supernatural influence was supposed to be 
infused into them. They were carefully wound 
round with very fine cord, the extremities alone 
remaining visible. When this was done, the new- 
made gods were placed before the larger images 
from which they had been taken ; and, lest their 
detachment should induce the god to withhold his 
power, the priest addressed a prayer to the princi¬ 
pal deities, requesting them to abide in the red 
feathers before them. At the close of his ubu , or 
invocation, he declared that they were dwelt in or 
inhabited, (by the gods,) and delivered them to the 
parties who had brought the red feathers. The 
feathers, taken home, were deposited in small bam¬ 
boo-canes, excepting when addressed in prayer. 
If prosperity attended their owner, it was attri¬ 
buted to their influence, and they were usually 
honoured with a too , or image, into which they 
were inwrought; and subsequently, perhaps, an 
altar and a rude temple were erected for them. 
In the event, however, of their being attached to 
an image, this must be taken to the large temple, 
that the supreme idols might sanction the transfer 
of their influence. 
Polynesian temples were either national, local, or 
domestic. The former were depositories of their 
principal idols, and the scenes of all great festi¬ 
vals ; the second were those belonging to the 
z 2 
