Since That Time, They Had Enjoyed
The Blessing Of Peace; The People Seemed To Be As Happy As Any Under
Heaven; and well they may, for they possess not only the necessaries, but
many of the luxuries of life in
The greatest profusion; and my young man
told me that hogs, fowls, and fruits, are in equal plenty at Bola-bola, a
thing which Tupia would never allow. To clear up this seeming
contradiction, I must observe, that the one was prejudiced against, and the
other in favour of, this isle.
The produce of the islands, the manners and customs of the natives, &c.
having been treated at large in the narrative of my former voyage, it will
be unnecessary to take notice of these subjects in this, unless where I can
add new matter, or clear up any mistakes which may have been committed.
As I had some reason to believe, that amongst their religious customs,
human sacrifices were sometimes considered as necessary, I went one day to
a Marai in Matavai, in company with Captain Furneaux; having with
us, as I had upon all other occasions, one of my men who spoke their
language tolerably well, and several of the natives, one of whom appeared
to be an intelligent sensible man. In the Marai was a
Tupapow, on which lay a corpse and some viands; so that every thing
promised success to my enquiries. I began with asking questions relating to
the several objects before me, if the plantains, &c. were for the
Eatua? If they sacrificed to the Eatua, hogs, dogs, fowls,
&c.? To all of which he answered in the affirmative. I then asked, If they
sacrificed men to the Eatua? He answered Taata eno; that is,
bad men they did, first Tipperahy, or beating them till they were
dead. I then asked him, If good men were put to death in this manner? His
answer was No, only Taata eno. I asked him if any Earees
were? He said, they had hogs to give to the Eatua, and again
repeated Taatu eno. I next asked, If Towtows, that is,
servants or slaves, who had no hogs, dogs, or fowls, but yet were good men,
if they were sacrificed to the Eatua? His answer was No, only bad
men. I asked him several more questions, and all his answers seemed to tend
to this one point, that men for certain crimes were condemned to be
sacrificed to the gods, provided they had not wherewithal to redeem
themselves. This, I think, implies, that on some occasions, human
sacrifices are considered as necessary, particularly when they take such
men as have, by the laws of their country, forfeited their lives, and have
nothing to redeem them; and such will generally be found among the lower
class of people.
The man of whom I made these enquiries, as well as some others, took some
pains to explain the whole of this custom to us; but we were not masters
enough of their language to understand them.
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