APPENDIX. 
245 
No. II. 
THE PULE ANANA, OR PRAYER OF INCANTATION. 
February 28.— Returning from a walk this morning, I witnessed, 
for the first time, a rite of sorcery. My attention was attracted by 
a group of people near the path I was passing. On approaching it, 
though ignorant of the particular ceremony performing, I at once 
judged it to he idolatrous. A small mat was spread on the ground, 
on which were spread several pieces of tapa, a native cloth, and on those 
again two of the large leaves of the api (one of the largest of the vege¬ 
table productions of the Islands—do not know its scientific name). 
These last seemed to have been prepared with special care; they 
were both of the same size; were placed the one directly above the 
other, both of the stems being split entirely up to the point of the 
leaves. They were carefully held together by a man kneeling at one 
end, while the priest or sorcerer, kneeling at the other, repeated 
prayers over them. These, with two or three others who appeared 
engaged in the ceremony, were as solemn as the grave; the rest of 
the company were light and trifling, and some of them turned to me, 
and laughing at what they seemed to think the folly of their friends, 
said, ino , inoi —bad, bad —pup aka —foolish— debelo —devilish! On 
inquiring what it meant, they told me a pipe had been stolen from 
one of the men, and the incantation was making to discover the thief, 
and to pray him to death. On reproving them for their superstition 
and wickedness, they became disconcerted, and the man holding the 
leaves made some unfortunate movement, which the man praying 
said had destroyed the effect, and immediately ceased to pray. 
Perhaps there is no superstition more general and deep-rooted in 
the minds of this people than the belief that some have the power of 
