376 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
his throwing himself on the ground. For a long 
time, the priest and one of the Raiateans struggled 
together; when the god, insulted at the rude liberty 
taken with his servant, left him, and the priest 
silently retired from the assembly. 
When one of the priests was exhibiting all the 
violent gestures of inspiration in Huahine, a 
by-stander observed, that it was all deceit, and 
that if they were to open the body of the priest, 
they should not find any god within. The mul¬ 
titude, however, appeared struck with horror at 
the startling proposal, and seemed to think the 
individual who had dared to utter it would not 
escape the signal vengeance of the powerful spirit. 
Although so much ceremony, and such extra¬ 
ordinary effects, attended the public or formal 
intercourse between the god and the people, 
through the medium of the priest, the commu¬ 
nications between the priest and the god were 
sometimes of an opposite character, and ludicrously 
colloquial. Mr. Davies, when itinerating round 
the island of Eimeo, in the early part of his mis¬ 
sionary labour in that island, arrived at a village 
near Tiatae-p^a, where he endeavoured to pur¬ 
chase provisions from the inhabitants. Vegetables 
were procured with facility, but the only animals 
were a number of fowls, and these belonged to 
the priest of the adjacent temple. Application 
was made to this individual, who looked at the 
articles (scissors, looking-glasses, &c.) offered in 
exchange, and seemed desirous to barter his fowls 
for them, but he said they belonged to the god, 
having been presented as offerings, and that with¬ 
out his leave he durst not part with any. 
Again he examined the articles, and then said 
he would go and ask if the god was willing to part 
