335 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the office of calming the angry spirits was honour- 
able, it was regarded as dangerous, for if, during 
the night or at any other time, these keepers were 
guilty of the least impropriety, it was supposed the 
spirits of the images, or the skulls, would hurl 
them headlong from their high abodes, and break 
their necks in the fall. The figures marked No.5, 
in the engraving of the Idols, represent the images 
of two tiis or oramatuas; whose form and appear- 
ance convey no inappropriate exhibition of their 
imagined malignity of disposition. 
Among the animate objects of their worship, 
they included a number of birds as well as fishes, 
especially a species of heron, a kingfisher, and 
one or two kinds of woodpecker, accustomed to 
frequent the sacred trees growing m the precincts 
of the temple. These birds were considered 
sacred, and usually fed upon the sacrifices. The 
natives imagined the god was imbodied in the 
bird, when it approached the temple to feast upon 
the offermg; and hence they supposed their pre- 
sents were grateful to their deities. The cries of 
those birds were also regarded as the responses of 
the gods to the prayers of the priests. 
They supposed their gods were powerful spiritual 
beings, in some degree acquainted with the events 
of this world, and generally governing its affairs ; 
never exercising any thing like benevolence 
towards even their most devoted followers, but 
requiring homage and obedience, with constant 
offerings ; denouncing their anger, and dispensing 
destruction on all who either refused or hesitated 
to comply. But while the people supposed they 
were spiritual beings, they manufactured images 
either as representations of their form, and emblems 
of their character, or as the vehicle or instrument 
