RELIGION OF THE NATIVESEvery one is, in a small degree, the image of God.MANLIUS.The most primitive of all races have some conception of a divinity and a life hereafter, forA god has his abode within our breast; when he rouses us, the glow of inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the divine mind sown in man.OVIDIUS.Let us listen to Captain Cook concerning the religion of the Tahitians before they knew the name of God and the story of the Saviour while on earth:The common people have only a very vague idea of the religious sentiments of the race, but the priests, who are quite numerous, have established quite an extensive and somewhat complicated system. They do not worship one God, as possessing preeminence; but believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all supposed to be very powerful, and, as different parts of the island, and the other islands in the neighborhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of such, no doubt, think that they have chosen the most potent and considerate one. Their devotion in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not only the whattas or offering-places of the morals are commonly loaded with fruits and animals, but there are few houses lacking a small place of the same sort. Many of them are so impressed with their obligations to their divinity that they will not begin a meal without first laying aside a morsel for their Eatooa (their god).Their prayers are also very frequent, which they chant, much after the manner of songs, in their festive entertainments. They also believe in an evil spirit, they call Etee, who sometimes does them mischief, and to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings.But the mischiefs they fear from any superior invisible beings are confined only to temporal things. They believe the soul to be both immaterial and immortal. They say that it keeps fluttering about the lips during the pangs of death, and that then it ascends and mixes with, or, as they express it, is eaten by the deity. In this state it remains for some time; after which it departs to a certain place destined for the reception of the souls of men, where it exists in eternal night, or, as they sometimes say, in twilight or dawn. They have no idea of any permanent punishment after death for crimes that they have committed on earth. They believe in the recognition of relatives and friends after death and in resuming the same relations as on earth. If the husband dies first, the soul of his wife is known to him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former acquaintance, in a spacious house, where the souls of the deceased assemble to recreate themselves with the gods. From here man and wife retire to their own habitation, where they remain forever.The most singular part of their faith consists in claiming that not only man, but all other animals, trees, fruit and even stones are endowed with a soul, which at death, or upon being consumed or broken, ascends to the divinity, with whom they first mix, and afterward pass into the mansion allotted to each.The temples of the Tahitians were the maraes, enclosures of stones, where the offerings were rendered, and on certain occasions human beings were sacrificed. The largest marae ever built in Tahiti is located at Papara and the ruins of it remain to-day. At the time of Captain Cook's visit there were numerous maraes all over the island, which served as places of worship, sacrifice and burial. The supreme chief of the whole island was always housed in a marae and after his death the marae was appropriated to his family and some of the principal people. Such a marae differed little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal part is a large, oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each other, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted towards the top, with a square area on each side, loosely packed with pebble stones, under which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered, which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here a very large scaffold, or whatta, on which the offerings, and other vegetables, are laid. But the animals are deposited on a smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried under different parts of the pavement. The marae is the altar of other nations. The skulls of the human sacrifices, after a few months, are exhumed and preserved in the marae.Captain Cook counted forty-nine such skulls in the marae in which he witnessed the human sacrifice.AT HOMEAT HOMECannibalism did not exist in Tahiti when the island was discovered, but human sacrifices were quite frequently offered as a kind of religious ceremony to appease the anger or displeasure of some offended god. The victims were tramps and persons of no vocation. They were either clubbed or stoned to death by persons designated for this purpose by the priests. On Saturday, August 30, 1777, while Captain Cook was stationed at Matavai for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus, he received a message that on the following day a human sacrifice would be made at Attahura, to Eatooa, to implore the assistance of the deity against the inhabitants of the island of Moorea, who were then in a state of war with Tahiti. Towha, a chief and relative of the then reigning king, had killed a man for the sacrifice. Captain Cook, with several friends, accompanied King Otoo to witness the ceremony, and describes the event in detail:On our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha, where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed angry; thinking it strange I, who had always declared myself to be the friend of their island, should not go and fight against its enemies. Before we parted he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, tied up in a tuft; and a lean, half-starved dog was put in a canoe that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a priest who was to assist at the solemnity. As soon as we landed at Attahura, which was about two o'clock in the afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered to remain in the boat, and that Mr. Anderson, Mr. Webber and myself might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the marai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men, and some boys, but not one woman. We found four priests and their attendants, or assistants, waiting for us.The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small canoe that lay on the beach and partly in the water of the sea, fronting the marai. Two of the priests, with some of the attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the marai. Our company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others standing by him, while the bulk of the people remained at a greater distance. The ceremony now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the cocoanut husk, with which he touched one of the King's, feet and then retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at the marai, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long prayer; and, at certain times, sent down young plantain trees, which were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of cloth. One of them, as we afterward found, was the royal Maro; and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatooa. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the marai, with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers, during which the plantain trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa-leaves and small branches.It was now taken out of the canoe and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting and others standing; and one, or more of them, repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the seashore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out; both of which were presented to Otoo, and wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however, touch it; but gave, to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers, which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and the eye, was carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me saying, "That is the Eatooa;" and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.The body was then carried a little way, with its head toward the marai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad, thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the marai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. He seemed to be the chief priest who sat at a small distance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures; so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom he constantly addressed himself, and sometimes asked several questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage him to comply with such requests. Among the petitions we understood, he asked him to deliver Eimeo (Moorea), Maheine its chief, the hogs, women and other things of the island into their hands; which was, indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which lasted nearly half an hour, in whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priests, and in which Potatou and some others joined. In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of the feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the marai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy squeaked aloud and Omai (Captain Cook's interpreter) said that it was the Eatooa.The human sacrifice was followed by the offering of dogs and pigs. The many prayers and complicated ceremonies attending human sacrifice stamp it as a religious rite which has undoubtedly been practiced for centuries. In this particular instance it meant a message through the instrumentality of the unfortunate victim to implore Eatooa for assistance in the impending war with Moorea.It is very interesting indeed to have an account of this ceremony preserved by an eyewitness like Captain Cook, and no apology is necessary here to have it reappear in all its minute details. Another religious ceremony of lesser import is circumcision. How this custom was introduced into Tahiti no one knows. It is more than probable that, in some way it came from the distant Orient in a modified form. It differs from the Jewish rite in that it is not performed on infants, but on boys approaching the age of puberty. Captain Cook gives the following description of the operation as he observed it:When there are five or six lads pretty well grown up in a neighborhood the father of one of them goes to a Tahoua, or man of knowledge, and lets him know. He goes with the lads to the top of the hills, attended by a servant; and, seating one of them properly, introduces a piece of wood underneath the foreskin, and desires him to look aside at something he pretends is coming. Having thus engaged the young man's attention to another object, he cuts through the skin upon the wood, with a shark's tooth, generally at one stroke. He then separates, or rather turns back, the divided parts; and, having put on a bandage, proceeds to perform the same operation on the other lads. At the end of five days they bathe, and the bandages being taken off, the matter is cleaned away. At the end of five days more they bathe again, and are well; but a thickness of the prepuce, where it was cut, remaining, they go again to the mountains with the Tahoua and servant; and a fire being prepared, and some stones heated, the Tahoua puts the prepuce between two of them, and squeezes it gently, which removes the thickness. They then return home, having their heads and other parts of their bodies, adorned with odoriferous flowers, and the Tahoua is rewarded for his services by their fathers, in proportion to their several abilities, with presents of hogs and cloth; and if they be poor, their relations are liberal on the occasion.How the wise man managed to keep the boys together during two such painful ordeals is not easy to understand, but as they remained at their posts until all had passed through it speaks volumes for their good behavior and manly courage. That the Tahitians possessed many admirable virtues during their paganism proves only too clearly thatVirtue is shut out from no one; she is open to all, accepts all, invites all, gentlemen, freedmen, slaves, kings and exiles; she selects neither house nor fortune; she is satisfied with a human without adjuncts.SENECA.A HOME BY THE SEAA HOME BY THE SEA–RAIATEAThese virtues, the prayers, the sacrifices, the belief in a supreme being and eternity, show that the Tahitians were imbued with a natural religion, forThe existence of God is so many ways manifest and the obedience we owe Him so congruous to the light of reason, that a great part of mankind give testimony to the law of nature.LOCKE.The natives had no literature nor any communication with the outside world farther than the neighboring island groups. Their only book was nature, and this was read and studied with eagerness and intelligence. Their ancient history consisted of legendary lore handed down from generation to generation. ButThere are books extant which they must needs allow of as proper evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the everlasting tables of right reason.BENTLEY.From century to century, from generation to generation, these people, without leaving a permanent record of what had happened and without being conscious of art or science, lived and died in a state of happiness and contentment.For he had no catechism but the creation, needed no study but recollection, and read no book but the volume of the world.SOUTH.That ignorance and vice should have existed among this primitive people, so completely isolated from the progressive part of the world, is not strange, as they lived in a land of plenty, fed and clothed, as it were, by the almost unaided resources of nature, conditions largely responsible for their inborn laziness. Ignorance and superstition go hand in hand. The Tahitians have always been extremely superstitious and both civilization and Christianization have been powerless in eradicating this national evil. We must, however, judge them not too severely in this matter, as superstition is by no means uncommon amongst us at the present day. Our best poets are not exempt from it.I think it is the weakness of mine eyesThat shapes this wondrous apparition:It comes upon me!SHAKESPEARE.Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.MILTON.A person terrified with the imagination of spectres is more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous and groundless.ADDISON.With the progress and spread of education of the masses, superstition will gradually be starved out here as elsewhere. The greatest vice of the Tahitians is licentiousness, which remains as when Captain Cook visited the island. In speaking of the looseness of the marital relations, he says:And so agreeable is this licentious plan of life to their disposition, that the most beautiful of both sexes thus commonly spend their youthful days, habituated to the practice of enormities which would disgrace the most savage tribes, but are peculiarly shocking amongst a people whose general character in other respects has evident traces of the prevalence of humane and tender feelings.The Tahitians have reason to claim thatThe vices collected through so many ages for a long time past flow in upon us.SENECA.Intemperance among the natives has never had a firm foothold in the island and tobacco is used with moderation. Gambling, such a common vice among the peoples of the Orient, has never been cultivated and practiced to any extent in Tahiti. These ocean-bound people, living in happy and contented isolation, had no desire for national or personal wealth or fame, neither had they any inclination or desire for art or the sciences. They believed in the mottoes:If you are but content, you have enough to live upon with comfort.PLAUTUS.andAmbition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.SIR WALTER SCOTT.They lived a restful, unselfish life, happy in the companionship of their families, relatives and friends, with no morbid desires to distract them from the full enjoyment of what Nature showered upon them with bountiful never-failing liberality.Their customs are by Nature wrought; But we, by art, unteach what Nature taught.DRYDEN.
RELIGION OF THE NATIVESEvery one is, in a small degree, the image of God.MANLIUS.The most primitive of all races have some conception of a divinity and a life hereafter, forA god has his abode within our breast; when he rouses us, the glow of inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the divine mind sown in man.OVIDIUS.Let us listen to Captain Cook concerning the religion of the Tahitians before they knew the name of God and the story of the Saviour while on earth:The common people have only a very vague idea of the religious sentiments of the race, but the priests, who are quite numerous, have established quite an extensive and somewhat complicated system. They do not worship one God, as possessing preeminence; but believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all supposed to be very powerful, and, as different parts of the island, and the other islands in the neighborhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of such, no doubt, think that they have chosen the most potent and considerate one. Their devotion in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not only the whattas or offering-places of the morals are commonly loaded with fruits and animals, but there are few houses lacking a small place of the same sort. Many of them are so impressed with their obligations to their divinity that they will not begin a meal without first laying aside a morsel for their Eatooa (their god).Their prayers are also very frequent, which they chant, much after the manner of songs, in their festive entertainments. They also believe in an evil spirit, they call Etee, who sometimes does them mischief, and to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings.But the mischiefs they fear from any superior invisible beings are confined only to temporal things. They believe the soul to be both immaterial and immortal. They say that it keeps fluttering about the lips during the pangs of death, and that then it ascends and mixes with, or, as they express it, is eaten by the deity. In this state it remains for some time; after which it departs to a certain place destined for the reception of the souls of men, where it exists in eternal night, or, as they sometimes say, in twilight or dawn. They have no idea of any permanent punishment after death for crimes that they have committed on earth. They believe in the recognition of relatives and friends after death and in resuming the same relations as on earth. If the husband dies first, the soul of his wife is known to him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former acquaintance, in a spacious house, where the souls of the deceased assemble to recreate themselves with the gods. From here man and wife retire to their own habitation, where they remain forever.The most singular part of their faith consists in claiming that not only man, but all other animals, trees, fruit and even stones are endowed with a soul, which at death, or upon being consumed or broken, ascends to the divinity, with whom they first mix, and afterward pass into the mansion allotted to each.The temples of the Tahitians were the maraes, enclosures of stones, where the offerings were rendered, and on certain occasions human beings were sacrificed. The largest marae ever built in Tahiti is located at Papara and the ruins of it remain to-day. At the time of Captain Cook's visit there were numerous maraes all over the island, which served as places of worship, sacrifice and burial. The supreme chief of the whole island was always housed in a marae and after his death the marae was appropriated to his family and some of the principal people. Such a marae differed little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal part is a large, oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each other, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted towards the top, with a square area on each side, loosely packed with pebble stones, under which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered, which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here a very large scaffold, or whatta, on which the offerings, and other vegetables, are laid. But the animals are deposited on a smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried under different parts of the pavement. The marae is the altar of other nations. The skulls of the human sacrifices, after a few months, are exhumed and preserved in the marae.Captain Cook counted forty-nine such skulls in the marae in which he witnessed the human sacrifice.AT HOMEAT HOMECannibalism did not exist in Tahiti when the island was discovered, but human sacrifices were quite frequently offered as a kind of religious ceremony to appease the anger or displeasure of some offended god. The victims were tramps and persons of no vocation. They were either clubbed or stoned to death by persons designated for this purpose by the priests. On Saturday, August 30, 1777, while Captain Cook was stationed at Matavai for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus, he received a message that on the following day a human sacrifice would be made at Attahura, to Eatooa, to implore the assistance of the deity against the inhabitants of the island of Moorea, who were then in a state of war with Tahiti. Towha, a chief and relative of the then reigning king, had killed a man for the sacrifice. Captain Cook, with several friends, accompanied King Otoo to witness the ceremony, and describes the event in detail:On our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha, where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed angry; thinking it strange I, who had always declared myself to be the friend of their island, should not go and fight against its enemies. Before we parted he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, tied up in a tuft; and a lean, half-starved dog was put in a canoe that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a priest who was to assist at the solemnity. As soon as we landed at Attahura, which was about two o'clock in the afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered to remain in the boat, and that Mr. Anderson, Mr. Webber and myself might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the marai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men, and some boys, but not one woman. We found four priests and their attendants, or assistants, waiting for us.The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small canoe that lay on the beach and partly in the water of the sea, fronting the marai. Two of the priests, with some of the attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the marai. Our company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others standing by him, while the bulk of the people remained at a greater distance. The ceremony now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the cocoanut husk, with which he touched one of the King's, feet and then retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at the marai, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long prayer; and, at certain times, sent down young plantain trees, which were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of cloth. One of them, as we afterward found, was the royal Maro; and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatooa. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the marai, with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers, during which the plantain trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa-leaves and small branches.It was now taken out of the canoe and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting and others standing; and one, or more of them, repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the seashore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out; both of which were presented to Otoo, and wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however, touch it; but gave, to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers, which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and the eye, was carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me saying, "That is the Eatooa;" and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.The body was then carried a little way, with its head toward the marai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad, thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the marai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. He seemed to be the chief priest who sat at a small distance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures; so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom he constantly addressed himself, and sometimes asked several questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage him to comply with such requests. Among the petitions we understood, he asked him to deliver Eimeo (Moorea), Maheine its chief, the hogs, women and other things of the island into their hands; which was, indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which lasted nearly half an hour, in whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priests, and in which Potatou and some others joined. In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of the feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the marai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy squeaked aloud and Omai (Captain Cook's interpreter) said that it was the Eatooa.The human sacrifice was followed by the offering of dogs and pigs. The many prayers and complicated ceremonies attending human sacrifice stamp it as a religious rite which has undoubtedly been practiced for centuries. In this particular instance it meant a message through the instrumentality of the unfortunate victim to implore Eatooa for assistance in the impending war with Moorea.It is very interesting indeed to have an account of this ceremony preserved by an eyewitness like Captain Cook, and no apology is necessary here to have it reappear in all its minute details. Another religious ceremony of lesser import is circumcision. How this custom was introduced into Tahiti no one knows. It is more than probable that, in some way it came from the distant Orient in a modified form. It differs from the Jewish rite in that it is not performed on infants, but on boys approaching the age of puberty. Captain Cook gives the following description of the operation as he observed it:When there are five or six lads pretty well grown up in a neighborhood the father of one of them goes to a Tahoua, or man of knowledge, and lets him know. He goes with the lads to the top of the hills, attended by a servant; and, seating one of them properly, introduces a piece of wood underneath the foreskin, and desires him to look aside at something he pretends is coming. Having thus engaged the young man's attention to another object, he cuts through the skin upon the wood, with a shark's tooth, generally at one stroke. He then separates, or rather turns back, the divided parts; and, having put on a bandage, proceeds to perform the same operation on the other lads. At the end of five days they bathe, and the bandages being taken off, the matter is cleaned away. At the end of five days more they bathe again, and are well; but a thickness of the prepuce, where it was cut, remaining, they go again to the mountains with the Tahoua and servant; and a fire being prepared, and some stones heated, the Tahoua puts the prepuce between two of them, and squeezes it gently, which removes the thickness. They then return home, having their heads and other parts of their bodies, adorned with odoriferous flowers, and the Tahoua is rewarded for his services by their fathers, in proportion to their several abilities, with presents of hogs and cloth; and if they be poor, their relations are liberal on the occasion.How the wise man managed to keep the boys together during two such painful ordeals is not easy to understand, but as they remained at their posts until all had passed through it speaks volumes for their good behavior and manly courage. That the Tahitians possessed many admirable virtues during their paganism proves only too clearly thatVirtue is shut out from no one; she is open to all, accepts all, invites all, gentlemen, freedmen, slaves, kings and exiles; she selects neither house nor fortune; she is satisfied with a human without adjuncts.SENECA.A HOME BY THE SEAA HOME BY THE SEA–RAIATEAThese virtues, the prayers, the sacrifices, the belief in a supreme being and eternity, show that the Tahitians were imbued with a natural religion, forThe existence of God is so many ways manifest and the obedience we owe Him so congruous to the light of reason, that a great part of mankind give testimony to the law of nature.LOCKE.The natives had no literature nor any communication with the outside world farther than the neighboring island groups. Their only book was nature, and this was read and studied with eagerness and intelligence. Their ancient history consisted of legendary lore handed down from generation to generation. ButThere are books extant which they must needs allow of as proper evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the everlasting tables of right reason.BENTLEY.From century to century, from generation to generation, these people, without leaving a permanent record of what had happened and without being conscious of art or science, lived and died in a state of happiness and contentment.For he had no catechism but the creation, needed no study but recollection, and read no book but the volume of the world.SOUTH.That ignorance and vice should have existed among this primitive people, so completely isolated from the progressive part of the world, is not strange, as they lived in a land of plenty, fed and clothed, as it were, by the almost unaided resources of nature, conditions largely responsible for their inborn laziness. Ignorance and superstition go hand in hand. The Tahitians have always been extremely superstitious and both civilization and Christianization have been powerless in eradicating this national evil. We must, however, judge them not too severely in this matter, as superstition is by no means uncommon amongst us at the present day. Our best poets are not exempt from it.I think it is the weakness of mine eyesThat shapes this wondrous apparition:It comes upon me!SHAKESPEARE.Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.MILTON.A person terrified with the imagination of spectres is more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous and groundless.ADDISON.With the progress and spread of education of the masses, superstition will gradually be starved out here as elsewhere. The greatest vice of the Tahitians is licentiousness, which remains as when Captain Cook visited the island. In speaking of the looseness of the marital relations, he says:And so agreeable is this licentious plan of life to their disposition, that the most beautiful of both sexes thus commonly spend their youthful days, habituated to the practice of enormities which would disgrace the most savage tribes, but are peculiarly shocking amongst a people whose general character in other respects has evident traces of the prevalence of humane and tender feelings.The Tahitians have reason to claim thatThe vices collected through so many ages for a long time past flow in upon us.SENECA.Intemperance among the natives has never had a firm foothold in the island and tobacco is used with moderation. Gambling, such a common vice among the peoples of the Orient, has never been cultivated and practiced to any extent in Tahiti. These ocean-bound people, living in happy and contented isolation, had no desire for national or personal wealth or fame, neither had they any inclination or desire for art or the sciences. They believed in the mottoes:If you are but content, you have enough to live upon with comfort.PLAUTUS.andAmbition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.SIR WALTER SCOTT.They lived a restful, unselfish life, happy in the companionship of their families, relatives and friends, with no morbid desires to distract them from the full enjoyment of what Nature showered upon them with bountiful never-failing liberality.Their customs are by Nature wrought; But we, by art, unteach what Nature taught.DRYDEN.
Every one is, in a small degree, the image of God.MANLIUS.
Every one is, in a small degree, the image of God.
MANLIUS.
The most primitive of all races have some conception of a divinity and a life hereafter, for
A god has his abode within our breast; when he rouses us, the glow of inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the divine mind sown in man.OVIDIUS.
A god has his abode within our breast; when he rouses us, the glow of inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the divine mind sown in man.
OVIDIUS.
Let us listen to Captain Cook concerning the religion of the Tahitians before they knew the name of God and the story of the Saviour while on earth:
The common people have only a very vague idea of the religious sentiments of the race, but the priests, who are quite numerous, have established quite an extensive and somewhat complicated system. They do not worship one God, as possessing preeminence; but believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all supposed to be very powerful, and, as different parts of the island, and the other islands in the neighborhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of such, no doubt, think that they have chosen the most potent and considerate one. Their devotion in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not only the whattas or offering-places of the morals are commonly loaded with fruits and animals, but there are few houses lacking a small place of the same sort. Many of them are so impressed with their obligations to their divinity that they will not begin a meal without first laying aside a morsel for their Eatooa (their god).Their prayers are also very frequent, which they chant, much after the manner of songs, in their festive entertainments. They also believe in an evil spirit, they call Etee, who sometimes does them mischief, and to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings.But the mischiefs they fear from any superior invisible beings are confined only to temporal things. They believe the soul to be both immaterial and immortal. They say that it keeps fluttering about the lips during the pangs of death, and that then it ascends and mixes with, or, as they express it, is eaten by the deity. In this state it remains for some time; after which it departs to a certain place destined for the reception of the souls of men, where it exists in eternal night, or, as they sometimes say, in twilight or dawn. They have no idea of any permanent punishment after death for crimes that they have committed on earth. They believe in the recognition of relatives and friends after death and in resuming the same relations as on earth. If the husband dies first, the soul of his wife is known to him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former acquaintance, in a spacious house, where the souls of the deceased assemble to recreate themselves with the gods. From here man and wife retire to their own habitation, where they remain forever.The most singular part of their faith consists in claiming that not only man, but all other animals, trees, fruit and even stones are endowed with a soul, which at death, or upon being consumed or broken, ascends to the divinity, with whom they first mix, and afterward pass into the mansion allotted to each.
The common people have only a very vague idea of the religious sentiments of the race, but the priests, who are quite numerous, have established quite an extensive and somewhat complicated system. They do not worship one God, as possessing preeminence; but believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all supposed to be very powerful, and, as different parts of the island, and the other islands in the neighborhood, have different ones, the inhabitants of such, no doubt, think that they have chosen the most potent and considerate one. Their devotion in serving their gods is remarkably conspicuous. Not only the whattas or offering-places of the morals are commonly loaded with fruits and animals, but there are few houses lacking a small place of the same sort. Many of them are so impressed with their obligations to their divinity that they will not begin a meal without first laying aside a morsel for their Eatooa (their god).
Their prayers are also very frequent, which they chant, much after the manner of songs, in their festive entertainments. They also believe in an evil spirit, they call Etee, who sometimes does them mischief, and to whom, as well as to their god, they make offerings.
But the mischiefs they fear from any superior invisible beings are confined only to temporal things. They believe the soul to be both immaterial and immortal. They say that it keeps fluttering about the lips during the pangs of death, and that then it ascends and mixes with, or, as they express it, is eaten by the deity. In this state it remains for some time; after which it departs to a certain place destined for the reception of the souls of men, where it exists in eternal night, or, as they sometimes say, in twilight or dawn. They have no idea of any permanent punishment after death for crimes that they have committed on earth. They believe in the recognition of relatives and friends after death and in resuming the same relations as on earth. If the husband dies first, the soul of his wife is known to him on its arrival in the land of spirits. They resume their former acquaintance, in a spacious house, where the souls of the deceased assemble to recreate themselves with the gods. From here man and wife retire to their own habitation, where they remain forever.
The most singular part of their faith consists in claiming that not only man, but all other animals, trees, fruit and even stones are endowed with a soul, which at death, or upon being consumed or broken, ascends to the divinity, with whom they first mix, and afterward pass into the mansion allotted to each.
The temples of the Tahitians were the maraes, enclosures of stones, where the offerings were rendered, and on certain occasions human beings were sacrificed. The largest marae ever built in Tahiti is located at Papara and the ruins of it remain to-day. At the time of Captain Cook's visit there were numerous maraes all over the island, which served as places of worship, sacrifice and burial. The supreme chief of the whole island was always housed in a marae and after his death the marae was appropriated to his family and some of the principal people. Such a marae differed little from the common ones, except in extent. Its principal part is a large, oblong pile of stones, lying loosely upon each other, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted towards the top, with a square area on each side, loosely packed with pebble stones, under which the bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance from the end nearest the sea is the place where the sacrifices are offered, which, for a considerable extent, is also loosely paved. There is here a very large scaffold, or whatta, on which the offerings, and other vegetables, are laid. But the animals are deposited on a smaller one, already mentioned, and the human sacrifices are buried under different parts of the pavement. The marae is the altar of other nations. The skulls of the human sacrifices, after a few months, are exhumed and preserved in the marae.
Captain Cook counted forty-nine such skulls in the marae in which he witnessed the human sacrifice.
AT HOMEAT HOME
AT HOME
Cannibalism did not exist in Tahiti when the island was discovered, but human sacrifices were quite frequently offered as a kind of religious ceremony to appease the anger or displeasure of some offended god. The victims were tramps and persons of no vocation. They were either clubbed or stoned to death by persons designated for this purpose by the priests. On Saturday, August 30, 1777, while Captain Cook was stationed at Matavai for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus, he received a message that on the following day a human sacrifice would be made at Attahura, to Eatooa, to implore the assistance of the deity against the inhabitants of the island of Moorea, who were then in a state of war with Tahiti. Towha, a chief and relative of the then reigning king, had killed a man for the sacrifice. Captain Cook, with several friends, accompanied King Otoo to witness the ceremony, and describes the event in detail:
On our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha, where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed angry; thinking it strange I, who had always declared myself to be the friend of their island, should not go and fight against its enemies. Before we parted he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, tied up in a tuft; and a lean, half-starved dog was put in a canoe that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a priest who was to assist at the solemnity. As soon as we landed at Attahura, which was about two o'clock in the afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered to remain in the boat, and that Mr. Anderson, Mr. Webber and myself might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the marai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men, and some boys, but not one woman. We found four priests and their attendants, or assistants, waiting for us.The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small canoe that lay on the beach and partly in the water of the sea, fronting the marai. Two of the priests, with some of the attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the marai. Our company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others standing by him, while the bulk of the people remained at a greater distance. The ceremony now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the cocoanut husk, with which he touched one of the King's, feet and then retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at the marai, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long prayer; and, at certain times, sent down young plantain trees, which were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of cloth. One of them, as we afterward found, was the royal Maro; and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatooa. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the marai, with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers, during which the plantain trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa-leaves and small branches.It was now taken out of the canoe and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting and others standing; and one, or more of them, repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the seashore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out; both of which were presented to Otoo, and wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however, touch it; but gave, to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers, which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and the eye, was carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me saying, "That is the Eatooa;" and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.The body was then carried a little way, with its head toward the marai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad, thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the marai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. He seemed to be the chief priest who sat at a small distance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures; so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom he constantly addressed himself, and sometimes asked several questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage him to comply with such requests. Among the petitions we understood, he asked him to deliver Eimeo (Moorea), Maheine its chief, the hogs, women and other things of the island into their hands; which was, indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which lasted nearly half an hour, in whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priests, and in which Potatou and some others joined. In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of the feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the marai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy squeaked aloud and Omai (Captain Cook's interpreter) said that it was the Eatooa.The human sacrifice was followed by the offering of dogs and pigs. The many prayers and complicated ceremonies attending human sacrifice stamp it as a religious rite which has undoubtedly been practiced for centuries. In this particular instance it meant a message through the instrumentality of the unfortunate victim to implore Eatooa for assistance in the impending war with Moorea.
On our way we landed upon a little island, which lies off Tettaha, where we found Towha and his retinue. After some little conversation between the two chiefs, on the subject of the war, Towha addressed himself to me, asking my assistance. When I excused myself, he seemed angry; thinking it strange I, who had always declared myself to be the friend of their island, should not go and fight against its enemies. Before we parted he gave to Otoo two or three red feathers, tied up in a tuft; and a lean, half-starved dog was put in a canoe that was to accompany us. We then embarked again, taking on board a priest who was to assist at the solemnity. As soon as we landed at Attahura, which was about two o'clock in the afternoon, Otoo expressed his desire that the seamen might be ordered to remain in the boat, and that Mr. Anderson, Mr. Webber and myself might take off our hats as soon as we should come to the marai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men, and some boys, but not one woman. We found four priests and their attendants, or assistants, waiting for us.
The dead body, or sacrifice, was in a small canoe that lay on the beach and partly in the water of the sea, fronting the marai. Two of the priests, with some of the attendants, were sitting by the canoe, the others at the marai. Our company stopped about twenty or thirty paces from the priests. Here Otoo placed himself; we, and a few others standing by him, while the bulk of the people remained at a greater distance. The ceremony now began. One of the priest's attendants brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. Another approached with a small tuft of red feathers, twisted on some fibres of the cocoanut husk, with which he touched one of the King's, feet and then retired with it to his companions. One of the priests, seated at the marai, facing those who were upon the beach, now began a long prayer; and, at certain times, sent down young plantain trees, which were laid upon the sacrifice. During this prayer, a man, who stood by the officiating priest, held in his hands two bundles, seemingly of cloth. One of them, as we afterward found, was the royal Maro; and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatooa. As soon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the marai, with their attendants, went and sat down by those upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers, during which the plantain trees were taken, one by one, at different times, from off the sacrifice, which was partly wrapped up in cocoa-leaves and small branches.
It was now taken out of the canoe and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the sea. The priests placed themselves around it, some sitting and others standing; and one, or more of them, repeated sentences for about ten minutes. The dead body was now uncovered, by removing the leaves and branches, and laid in a parallel direction with the seashore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was, at times, joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the course of this prayer, some hair was pulled off the head of the sacrifice, and the left eye taken out; both of which were presented to Otoo, and wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not, however, touch it; but gave, to the man who presented it, the tuft of feathers, which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and the eye, was carried back to the priests. Soon after, Otoo sent to them another piece of feathers, which he had given me in the morning to keep in my pocket. During some part of this last ceremony, a kingfisher making a noise in the trees, Otoo turned to me saying, "That is the Eatooa;" and seemed to look upon it to be a good omen.
The body was then carried a little way, with its head toward the marai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad, thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the marai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the sacrifice, round which the priests took their stations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. He seemed to be the chief priest who sat at a small distance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and gestures; so that he seemed often to expostulate with the dead person, to whom he constantly addressed himself, and sometimes asked several questions, seemingly with respect to the propriety of his having been killed. At other times, he made several demands, as if the deceased either now had power himself, or interest with the divinity, to engage him to comply with such requests. Among the petitions we understood, he asked him to deliver Eimeo (Moorea), Maheine its chief, the hogs, women and other things of the island into their hands; which was, indeed, the express intention of the sacrifice. He then chanted a prayer, which lasted nearly half an hour, in whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priests, and in which Potatou and some others joined. In the course of this prayer, some more hair was plucked by a priest from the head of the corpse, and put upon one of the bundles. After this, the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he had finished, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of the feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which closed the ceremony at this place.
The corpse was then carried up to the most conspicuous part of the marai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the last of which beat slowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against the pile of stones, and the corpse at the foot of them. The priests having again seated themselves round it, renewed their prayers, while some of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and stones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy squeaked aloud and Omai (Captain Cook's interpreter) said that it was the Eatooa.
The human sacrifice was followed by the offering of dogs and pigs. The many prayers and complicated ceremonies attending human sacrifice stamp it as a religious rite which has undoubtedly been practiced for centuries. In this particular instance it meant a message through the instrumentality of the unfortunate victim to implore Eatooa for assistance in the impending war with Moorea.
It is very interesting indeed to have an account of this ceremony preserved by an eyewitness like Captain Cook, and no apology is necessary here to have it reappear in all its minute details. Another religious ceremony of lesser import is circumcision. How this custom was introduced into Tahiti no one knows. It is more than probable that, in some way it came from the distant Orient in a modified form. It differs from the Jewish rite in that it is not performed on infants, but on boys approaching the age of puberty. Captain Cook gives the following description of the operation as he observed it:
When there are five or six lads pretty well grown up in a neighborhood the father of one of them goes to a Tahoua, or man of knowledge, and lets him know. He goes with the lads to the top of the hills, attended by a servant; and, seating one of them properly, introduces a piece of wood underneath the foreskin, and desires him to look aside at something he pretends is coming. Having thus engaged the young man's attention to another object, he cuts through the skin upon the wood, with a shark's tooth, generally at one stroke. He then separates, or rather turns back, the divided parts; and, having put on a bandage, proceeds to perform the same operation on the other lads. At the end of five days they bathe, and the bandages being taken off, the matter is cleaned away. At the end of five days more they bathe again, and are well; but a thickness of the prepuce, where it was cut, remaining, they go again to the mountains with the Tahoua and servant; and a fire being prepared, and some stones heated, the Tahoua puts the prepuce between two of them, and squeezes it gently, which removes the thickness. They then return home, having their heads and other parts of their bodies, adorned with odoriferous flowers, and the Tahoua is rewarded for his services by their fathers, in proportion to their several abilities, with presents of hogs and cloth; and if they be poor, their relations are liberal on the occasion.
How the wise man managed to keep the boys together during two such painful ordeals is not easy to understand, but as they remained at their posts until all had passed through it speaks volumes for their good behavior and manly courage. That the Tahitians possessed many admirable virtues during their paganism proves only too clearly that
Virtue is shut out from no one; she is open to all, accepts all, invites all, gentlemen, freedmen, slaves, kings and exiles; she selects neither house nor fortune; she is satisfied with a human without adjuncts.SENECA.
Virtue is shut out from no one; she is open to all, accepts all, invites all, gentlemen, freedmen, slaves, kings and exiles; she selects neither house nor fortune; she is satisfied with a human without adjuncts.
SENECA.
A HOME BY THE SEAA HOME BY THE SEA–RAIATEA
A HOME BY THE SEA–RAIATEA
These virtues, the prayers, the sacrifices, the belief in a supreme being and eternity, show that the Tahitians were imbued with a natural religion, for
The existence of God is so many ways manifest and the obedience we owe Him so congruous to the light of reason, that a great part of mankind give testimony to the law of nature.LOCKE.
The existence of God is so many ways manifest and the obedience we owe Him so congruous to the light of reason, that a great part of mankind give testimony to the law of nature.
LOCKE.
The natives had no literature nor any communication with the outside world farther than the neighboring island groups. Their only book was nature, and this was read and studied with eagerness and intelligence. Their ancient history consisted of legendary lore handed down from generation to generation. But
There are books extant which they must needs allow of as proper evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the everlasting tables of right reason.BENTLEY.
There are books extant which they must needs allow of as proper evidence; even the mighty volumes of visible nature, and the everlasting tables of right reason.
BENTLEY.
From century to century, from generation to generation, these people, without leaving a permanent record of what had happened and without being conscious of art or science, lived and died in a state of happiness and contentment.
For he had no catechism but the creation, needed no study but recollection, and read no book but the volume of the world.SOUTH.
For he had no catechism but the creation, needed no study but recollection, and read no book but the volume of the world.
SOUTH.
That ignorance and vice should have existed among this primitive people, so completely isolated from the progressive part of the world, is not strange, as they lived in a land of plenty, fed and clothed, as it were, by the almost unaided resources of nature, conditions largely responsible for their inborn laziness. Ignorance and superstition go hand in hand. The Tahitians have always been extremely superstitious and both civilization and Christianization have been powerless in eradicating this national evil. We must, however, judge them not too severely in this matter, as superstition is by no means uncommon amongst us at the present day. Our best poets are not exempt from it.
I think it is the weakness of mine eyesThat shapes this wondrous apparition:It comes upon me!SHAKESPEARE.Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.MILTON.A person terrified with the imagination of spectres is more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous and groundless.ADDISON.
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this wondrous apparition:
It comes upon me!
SHAKESPEARE.
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.
MILTON.
A person terrified with the imagination of spectres is more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous and groundless.
ADDISON.
With the progress and spread of education of the masses, superstition will gradually be starved out here as elsewhere. The greatest vice of the Tahitians is licentiousness, which remains as when Captain Cook visited the island. In speaking of the looseness of the marital relations, he says:
And so agreeable is this licentious plan of life to their disposition, that the most beautiful of both sexes thus commonly spend their youthful days, habituated to the practice of enormities which would disgrace the most savage tribes, but are peculiarly shocking amongst a people whose general character in other respects has evident traces of the prevalence of humane and tender feelings.
The Tahitians have reason to claim that
The vices collected through so many ages for a long time past flow in upon us.SENECA.
The vices collected through so many ages for a long time past flow in upon us.
SENECA.
Intemperance among the natives has never had a firm foothold in the island and tobacco is used with moderation. Gambling, such a common vice among the peoples of the Orient, has never been cultivated and practiced to any extent in Tahiti. These ocean-bound people, living in happy and contented isolation, had no desire for national or personal wealth or fame, neither had they any inclination or desire for art or the sciences. They believed in the mottoes:
If you are but content, you have enough to live upon with comfort.PLAUTUS.
If you are but content, you have enough to live upon with comfort.
PLAUTUS.
and
Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.SIR WALTER SCOTT.
Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
They lived a restful, unselfish life, happy in the companionship of their families, relatives and friends, with no morbid desires to distract them from the full enjoyment of what Nature showered upon them with bountiful never-failing liberality.
Their customs are by Nature wrought; But we, by art, unteach what Nature taught.DRYDEN.
Their customs are by Nature wrought; But we, by art, unteach what Nature taught.
DRYDEN.