THROUGH HAWAII* 
121 
be the most valuable articles the natives possessed, as 
being sacred, and a necessary appendage to every idol, 
and almost every object of religious homage through¬ 
out the islands of the Pacific. They were supposed 
to add much to the power and influence of the idol, 
or relic, to which they were attached. 
The missionaries in the Society Islands had, by 
means of some Sandwich islanders, been long ac¬ 
quainted with the circumstance of some of Captain 
Cook’s bones being preserved in one of their temples, 
and receiving religious worship; and since the time 
of my arrival in company with the deputation from 
the London Missionary Society, in 1822, every en¬ 
deavour has been made to learn, though without suc¬ 
cess, whether they were still in existence, and where 
they were kept. All those of whom inquiry has been 
made have uniformly asserted, that they were formerly 
kept by the priests of Rono, and worshipped, but have 
never given any satisfactory information as to where 
they are now. Whenever we have asked the king, or 
Hevaheva the chief priest, or any of the chiefs, they 
have either told us they were under the care of those 
arms, with the skin of the fore arms hanging to them. The thigh 
and leg bones joined together, but without the feet. The liga¬ 
ments of the joints were entire; and the whole bore evident 
marks of having been in the fire, except the hands, which had 
the flesh left upon them, and were cut in several places, and 
crammed with salt, apparently with an intention of preserving 
them. The lower jaw and feet, which were wanting, Eappo told 
us, had been seized by different chiefs, and that Terreeoboo was 
using every means to recover them.” Speaking of Eappo’s first 
visit after the death of Captain Cook, he says, “We learned 
from this person, that the flesh of all the bodies of our people, 
together with the bones of the trunks, had been burnt.”—Cap¬ 
tain King’s Continuation of Cook’s Voyages, vol. iii. pages 78, 
79, and 80. 
R 
