354 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
creased compassion for those inhabiting “the dark 
places of the earth.” 
The idols of the heathen are in general appro¬ 
priate emblems of the beings they worship and 
fear; and if we contemplate those of the South 
Sea Islanders, they present to our notice all that is 
adapted to awaken our pity. The idols of Tahiti 
were generally shapeless pieces of wood, from one 
to four feet long, covered with cinet of cocoa-nut 
fibres, ornamented with yellow and scarlet fea¬ 
thers. Oro was a straight log of hard casuarina 
wood, six feet in length, uncarved, but decorated 
with feathers. The gods of some of the adjacent 
islands exhibit a greater variety of form and struc¬ 
ture. The accompanying wood-cut contains seve¬ 
ral of these. 
The figure in the centre, No. 1. exhibits a 
correct front view of Taaroa, the supreme deity 
of Polynesia ^ who is generally regarded as the 
creator of the world, and the parent of gods 
and men. The image from which this was 
taken, is nearly four feet high, and twelve or 
fifteen inches broad, carved out of a solid piece of 
close, white, durable wood. In addition to the 
number of images or demigods forming the features 
of his face, and studding the outside of his body, 
and which were designed to shew the multitudes 
of gods that had proceeded from him; his body is 
hollow, and when taken from the temple at Ruru- 
tu, in which for many generations he had been 
worshipped, a number of small idols were found in 
the cavity. They had perhaps been deposited 
there, to imbibe his supernatural powers, prior to 
their being removed to a distance, to receive, as 
his representatives, divine honours. The opening to 
th$ cavity was at the back; the whole of which, 
