FRANTIC GRIEF FOR THE DEAD* 407 
that they should see, or be seized by, his spirit 
They were, however, very ignorant young persons* 
The natives in general laugh at their former ere- 
dulity. The whole system of their superstition 
seems to have been, in every respect, wonderfully 
adapted to debase the mind, and keep the people 
in the most abject subjection to the priests, who, 
in order to maintain their influence, had recourse 
to this extensive and imposing machinery of 
supernatural agency; and it must be confessed 
that, considering their isolated situation, their 
entire ignorance of science, of natural and expe¬ 
rimental philosophy, their ardent temperament, 
the romantic nature of the country, and the adven¬ 
turous character of many of their achievements, 
there was something remarkably imposing to an 
uncultivated mind in the system here inculcated. 
Almost every native custom connected with the 
death of relations or friends, was singular, and 
none perhaps more so than the otohaa , which, 
though not confined to instances of death, was 
then most violent. It consisted in the most frantic 
expressions of grief, under which individuals acted 
as if bereft of reason. It commenced when the 
sick person appeared to be dying; the wailing 
then was often most distressing, but as soon as 
the spirit had departed, the individuals became 
quite ungovernable. 
They not only wailed in the loudest and most 
affecting tone, but tore their hair, rent their gar¬ 
ments, and cut themselves with shark's teeth or 
knives in a shocking manner. The instrument 
usually employed was a small cane, about four 
inches long, with five or six shark’s teeth fixed 
in, on opposite sides. With one of these instru¬ 
ments every female provided herself after mar- 
