lar tone. SACRED SONGS AND TRADITIONS. 273 The notes are much prolonged, and towards the close, the voice is shaken in a hoarse undulation. Another song is a kind of recitative, in which the priest declaims with the utmost violence of voice and action, concluding with a sharp sound like the bark of a dog, directed toward the audience, who return a suitable response, in general chorus resembling a low growl." All the traditions they possess are embodied in the sacred songs: the fabulous origin of their islands, the names of others in whose existence they believe, the genealogies of the chiefs from their first origin, the feats of their heroes, with the histories of their wars, and all other events of which they profess any knowledge. The account they give of their origin is, that the land composing their islands was once located in "Havaiki," or the regions below-the place of departed spirits—and that they rose from thence through the efforts of a god beneath them. At that period, they say, there was no sea; but that it and all animal and vegetable productions were afterwards born of a woman; and that originally men and fish were locked up in caverns in the depth of the earth, which burst with a great explosion, leaving the men upon the land, and casting the fish into the sea. In their songs they enumerate the names of fortyfour islands, besides their own. In the number are evidently some of the Georgian and Society groups; and the description of another is that of a Lagoon island, to which none of this cluster have the least resemblance. One of their traditions, respecting these 274 VARIOUS CEREMONIES. foreign islands, gives an account of the introduction of the cocoanut here. It is, that a god, on a visit to them from an island--which they call Oatamaaua-finding them destitute of this important tree, fetched it to them in a stone canoe: the whole transaction being described in a minute and equally incredible manner. They have similar accounts of the visits of the gods of other islands; and in the traditions of them, we find the reason of their calling the first visitors from America and Europe, "Atuas"-" gods"-the name now given to all foreigners. When Sir Joseph Banks was at Tahiti, the high priest, Tupia, gave him a list of the islands known to the Georgian and Society Islanders; but, there is in it but one, that bears any particular resemblance to any found in this catalogue of the Washington and Marquesan group. But to return to the Tahunas, or priests, and their ceremonies. Sometimes a bundle, which is called the "clothed god"-consisting of a wooden log, wrapped in cloth, with four conch shells fastened upon it--is lifted up and carefully laid down again by the priests; all the people standing and making responses to an unintelligible jargon, during its elevation. Sometimes a human skull is placed in a curiously wrought urn adorned with flowers, and elevated in a similar manner. A cocoanut leaf, also, woven so as to represent a human victim, and fastened to a long pole, is borne along on the shoulders of two men ; a principal priest then speaks aloud, as if asking a question, and all the rest answer in a shout. The vociferative DRUMS AND CLAPPING OF HANDS. 275 part of this ceremony is also practiced when on the water in their canoes. Frequent use, in these ceremonies, is made of a piece of wood, with another fastened across the top of it; and also of a small canoe, decorated with human hair. At times, too, a hami or girdle, or other article, is held up, and the name of a god invoked in a loud and bold manner; and when a surgical operation is about to be performed, the rude instrument of tooth or bone is elevated, in a similar way, towards the imaginary power, as if expressive of dependence for success on the skill that may be supernaturally imparted. The sacred drums are of two kinds, small and large. The first are precisely similar to those used at the koikas already described. The others are much larger--being from five to six feet high, and from fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter. Their construction and material are the same as the smaller, except the heads, which are made of the skin of a devil-fish, in place of that of a shark. They, too, are beaten with the hand and fingers, but in a regular, solemn movement, either uniformly, or with two or three beats in succession, with an intervening rest; while the smaller ones are beaten continually, in quick time, filling up the intervals between the strokes on the larger drum. The clapping of the hands, accompanying the song and the drum, is varied, both in sound and movements--somewhat in correspondence with the dif ference between the beating of the larger and smaller drums--the slower and louder strokes being made 276 THE UUS AND THEIR SERVICE. with the hand held hollow, and the fingers partly intermixed--and the intermediate claps with the hands held flat, and struck forcibly against each other. In times of war, for many days previous to a battle, the priests are engaged in various ceremonies; and also after battle, over victims taken-if such there are before they are offered in sacrifice. The priests alone have the privilege of eating of any thing offered in sacrifice to the gods. The only remaining distinctive order, in the general tabu class, is that of the Uus, or assistants of the priests in the human sacrifices. Admission to this grade is granted to those only, who have killed an enemy in battle with the short club or battle axe, called the Uu-whence their peculiar appellative. The priests are not numerous, and having many ceremonies to perform, the principal duty of the Uus appears to be, to relieve them from the more laborious parts of the horrid processes of human immolation. The Uus have the privilege of feasting with the Tauas and Tahunas, which is denied to every other inferior grade. Besides these distinctions, founded in their idolatry and upheld by its superstitions, there are those of employment, into which most others of the people may be classed. All persons celebrated for their ingenuity and skillin the manufacture of ornaments and weapons of war— in making canoes-and in finishing the neater parts of their habitations, are distinguished by a general honorary name, and are employed and entertained with great hospitality by others at their houses. This LANDED PROPRIETORS AND SERVANTS. 277 is the case, also, with those particularly expert in catching fish persons of property give such land to reside on, and furnish them with canoes, for the benefit of their services. All the land, with the growth upon it, is hereditarily possessed by the higher orders, civil and religious-the chiefs, warriors, prophets, priests, and their assistants-the boundaries of the respective domains of each being accurately defined and well known. The islanders guarding and gathering the productions on these, and performing the various avocations of servar.ts and dependents in the households of the proprietors, make up the whole population. The brief-though I fear still tedious-outline thus given, of the various classes of persons with whom I may meet, will enable you, my dear H more readily to understand the hasty sketches I may transmit of the few days of observation we shall yet enjoy at Nukuhiva. In the hope of fresh scenes on the morrow, I now bid you good night. LETTER VII. A DAY IN THE GLEN OF TAIOA. Bay of Taiohae, at Nukuhiva, CAPTAIN Finch was so highly delighted with his visit to the Valley of Taioa, yesterday, that he urged me to make the same trip, in company VOL. I. 24 |