DESCRIPTION OF IDOLS. 
357 
might be removed. No. 2. is Terongo, one of 
the principal gods, and his three sons. No. 3. is 
an image of Tebuakina, three sons of Rongo, a 
principal deity in the Hervey Islands. The name 
is probably analogous to Orono in Hawaii, though 
distinct from Oro in Tahiti., No. 4. exhibits a 
sacred ornament of a canoe from the island of 
Huahine. The two figures at the top, are images 
worshipped by fishermen, or those frequenting the 
sea. The two small idols at the lower corners of 
the plate, No. 5. are images of oramatuas, or de¬ 
mons. The gods of Rarotogna were some of 
them much larger; Mr. Bourne, in 1825, saw 
fourteen about twenty feet long, and six feet 
wide. 
Such were the objects the inhabitants of these 
islands were accustomed to supplicate; and to 
appease or avert the anger of which, they devoted 
not only every valuable article they possess¬ 
ed, but murdered their fellow-creatures, and 
offered their blood. Human victims were sacri¬ 
ficed to Taaroa, Oro, and several others. The eye 
was presented to the king. The natives state, that 
they regarded the eye as the organ or emblem of 
power. It has been supposed, that the circum¬ 
stance of the priests’ offering the eye, the most 
precious part of the victim, to the king, who 
appeared to eat it, indicated their having formerly 
devoured the men they had sacrificed. I do not 
regard this fact as affording any very strong evi¬ 
dence, although I have not the least doubt that 
the inhabitants of several of the South Sea Islands 
have eaten human flesh. 
From the many favourable traits in their charac¬ 
ter, we have been unwilling to believe they had 
ever been cannibals; the conviction of our mistake 
