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their merit, but of whose origin they form no idea, rather supposing them to be eternal.

2. That there are other Hotooas or gods, viz.

the souls of all deceased nobles and matabooles, who have a like power of dispensing good and evil, but in an inferior degree. 3. That there are besides several Hotooa Pow, or mischievous gods, whose attribute is never to dispense good, but petty evils and troubles, not as a punishment, but indiscriminately to whomsoever it may be, from a pure mischievous disposition.

4. That all these superior beings, although they may perhaps have had a beginning, will have no end.

5. That the world also is of doubtful origin, and co-existent with the gods; the solid sky, the heavenly bodies, and the ocean, being. pre-existent to the habitable earth, which was afterwards drawn out of the water by the god Tangaloa, whilst fishing with a line and hook.

6. That mankind, according to a partial tradition, first came from Bolotoo, the residence of the gods, an island to the north-westward, and resided at the Tonga islands, by command of Tangaloa: they consisted of two

brothers, with their wives and attendants, whose original they pretend to know nothing about.

7. That all human evil is inflicted by the gods upon mankind, on account of some neglect of religious duty, either in the person or persons who suffer the inflictions, or in the egi or chief whom they serve; and the contrary of good.

8. That all egi or nobles have souls, which

exist hereafter in Bolotoo, not according to their moral merit, but their rank in this world, and then they have power similar to the original gods, but less. The matabooles also go to Bolotoo after death, where they exist as matabooles or ministers to the gods, but they have not the power of inspiring priests: the mooas, according to the belief of some, also go to Bolotoo, but this is a matter of great doubt. But the tooas, or lower class of people, have no souls, or such only as dissolve with the body after death, which consequently ends their sentient existence.

9. That the human soul during life is not a distinct essence from the body, but only the more etherial part of it, and which exists in

Bolotoo, in the form and likeness of the body, the moment after death.

10. That the primitive gods and deceased nobles sometimes appear (visibly) to mankind,

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to warn or to afford comfort and advice: that the primitive gods also sometimes come into the living bodies of lizards, porpoises, and a species of water snake, hence these animals are much respected; their coming into porpoises is supposed to be for the purpose of taking care of vessels, &c. 11. That the two personages at the Tonga islands known by the name of Tooitonga and Veachi are descendants in a right line from two chief gods, and that all respect and veneration is therefore due to them. 12. That some persons are favoured with the inspiration of the gods, by an actual existence of the god for the time being, in the person (the priest) so inspired, who is then capable of prophesying.

13. That human merit or virtue consists chiefly in paying respect to the gods, nobles, and aged persons; in defending one's hereditary rights; honour, justice, patriotism, friendship, meekness, modesty, fidelity of married women, parental and filial love,

observance of all religious ceremonies, patience in suffering, forbearance of temper, &c.

14. That all rewards for virtue or punishments for vice happen to men in this world. only, and come immediately from the gods. 15. That several acts acknowledged by all civilized nations as crimes, are under many circumstances considered by them as matters of indifference, such as revenge, killing a servant who has given provocation, or any body else, provided it be not a very superior chief or noble; rape, provided it be not upon a married woman, or one to whom respect is due, on the score of superior rank, from the perpetrator; theft, except it be consecrated property.

16. Omens are considered direct indications of the gods to mankind: charms or superstitious ceremonies to bring evil upon any one are considered for the most part infallible, as being generally effective means to dispose the gods to accord with the curse or evil wish of the malevolent invoker; to perform these charms is considered cowardly and unmanly, but does not constitute a crime.

The Tonga people universally and positively

believe in the existence of a large island, lying at a considerable distance to the northwestward of their own islands, which they consider to be the place of residence of their gods, and of the souls of their nobles and matabooles. This island is supposed to be much larger than all their own islands put together, to be well stocked with all kinds of useful and ornamental plants, always in a state of high perfection, and always bearing the richest fruits and the most beautiful flowers according to their respective natures; that when these fruits or flowers are plucked, others immediately occupy their place, and that the whole atmosphere is filled with the most delightful fragrance that the imagination can conceive, proceeding from these immortal plants; the island is also well stocked with the most beautiful birds of all imaginable kinds, as well as with abundance of hogs, all of which are immortal, unless they are killed to provide food for the hotooas or gods; but the moment a hog or bird is killed, another living hog or bird immediately comes into existence to supply its place, the same as with the fruits and flowers; and this, as far as they know or suppose, is the only mode of propagation of plants and animals. The island of

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