THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
167 
got into Teneriffe. Amongft them, however, the dreamers 1777. 
poftefs a reputation little inferior to that of their infpired 
priefts and priefteftes, whofe predictions they implicitly be¬ 
lieve, and are determined by them in all undertakings of 
confequence. The prieftefs who perfuaded Opoony to in¬ 
vade Ulietea, is much reflected by him; and he never goes 
to war, without confulting her. They alfo, in fome degree, 
maintain our old doctrine of planetary influence; at leaft, 
they are fometimes regulated, in their public counfels, by 
certain appearances of the moon; particularly, when lying 
horizontally, or much inclined on the convex part, on its 
firft appearance after the change, they are encouraged to 
engage in war, with confidence of fuccefs. 
They have traditions concerning the creation, which, as 
might be expected, are complex, and clouded with obfcu- 
rity. They fay, that a goddefs, having a lump or mafs 
of earth fufpended in a cord, gave it a fwing, and fcat- 
tered about pieces of land, thus conftituting Otaheite and 
the neighbouring iflands, which were all peopled by a man 
and woman originally fixed at Otaheite. This, however, 
only refpects their own immediate creation; for they have 
notions of an univerfal one before this; and of lands, of 
which they have now no other knowledge than what is 
mentioned in the tradition. Their moft remote account 
reaches to Tatooma and Tapuppa, male and female flones 
or rocks, who fupport the congeries of land and water, or 
our globe underneath. Thefe produced Totorro, who was 
killed, and divided into land; and, after him, Otaia and 
Oroo were begotten, who were afterward married, and pro¬ 
duced, firft land, and then a race of Gods. Otaia is killed, 
and Oroo marries a God, her fon, called Teorraha, whom 
fhe orders to create more land, the animals, and all forts of 
food 
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