344 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
and to Roo, the god of morning, and the parent 
of clouds — to the formation and increase of 
clouds-—to the blue cloud, the red cloud, and the 
low hungry cloud, and the horned or pointed 
cloud. They are .then directed to mark the pro¬ 
gress of Roo, the property or offerings of Roo, 
the platted cocoa-nut leaf of Roo, the medium 
through which his influence or power was con¬ 
veyed to his image, or through which he received 
the spirit of the offerings. All the gods are then in¬ 
voked to enter their tapau or cocoa-nut leaves, and 
to open wide their mouths. Each one is addressed 
by name, and it is declared, “ Here is the food 
and offering, in or from the land or the sea.” The 
gods are then invoked to take off the sacredness or 
restriction, and to hold it fast, probably that men 
may securely attend to their avocations. The 
gods are then supposed to be awakened, and the 
priest retires. 
Their offerings included every kind of valuable 
property:—the fowls of the air, the fishes of the 
sea, the beasts of the field, and the fruits of the 
earth, together with their choicest manufactures, 
were presented. The sacrifice was frequently 
called Taraehara , a compound term, signifying 
disentangling from guilt; from tar a, to untie or 
loosen, and hara , guilt. The animals were taken 
either in part or entire. The fruits and. other 
eatables were generally, but not always, dressed. 
Portions of the fowls, pigs, or fish, considered 
sacred, dressed with sacred fire within the temple, 
were offered; the remainder furnished a banquet 
for the priests and other sacred persons, who were 
privileged to eat of the sacrifices. Those portions 
appropriated to the gods were deposited on the 
fata or altar, which was of wood. Domestic altars, 
