424 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
In reply, we usually informed them, that we 
were accustomed to speak of the heart as the seat 
of the affections and moral principles, though by 
the heart we often meant nearly the same as they 
intended by the word aau or obu, but that we con¬ 
sidered our sensations and mental perceptions to 
be connected with the brain. It was in vain that 
we endeavoured to shew the reasonableness of 
this opinion, by pointing out and explaining the 
connexion between the nerves pervading the 
several organs of sense, and the brain—the ces¬ 
sation and interruption of mental sensation and 
exercise, when the nerves of the brain were per¬ 
manently injured—or when the line of nerves 
extending from an organ to the brain was broken. 
They usually answered, they would believe it be¬ 
cause we said so, but that they did not under¬ 
stand it: nor was it to be expected that they 
should, as their knowledge of the anatomy of the 
human frame was exceedingly limited. They had 
no idea even of the existence of nerves, and it was 
necessary to introduce into their language a word 
by which they might be designated. Discussions of 
this nature, though adapted to interest the people, 
and encourage the exercise of intellect, were pro¬ 
bably more amusing than profitable; and, notwith¬ 
standing the diversified subjects presented, their 
inquiries generally referred to the new order of 
things which Christianity had introduced. 
In reference to this, while they were some¬ 
times trivial, and perhaps ludicrous, they were 
often deeply interesting and important, and not 
unfrequently difficult and perplexing. I wrote 
many of them down at the time ; others have 
been recorded by my companions : a selection 
will convey a more correct idea of their mode of 
