The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
From the rigid severity with which some of these mourning and religious
ceremonies are executed, one would expect to find that they meant
thereby to secure to themselves felicity beyond the grave; but their
principal object relates to things merely temporal. For they seem to
have little conception of future punishment for faults committed in this
life. They believe, however, that they are justly punished upon earth;
and, consequently, use every method to render their divinities
propitious. The Supreme Author of most things they call _Kallafootonga_;
who, they say, is a female residing in the sky, and directing the
thunder, wind, rain; and, in general, all the changes of weather. They
believe, that when she is angry with them, the productions of the earth
are blasted; that many things are destroyed by lightning; and that they
themselves are afflicted with sickness and death, as well as their hogs
and other animals. When this anger abates, they suppose that every thing
is restored to its natural order; and it should seem, that they have a
great reliance on the efficacy of their endeavours to appease their
offended divinity. They also admit a plurality of deities, though all
inferior to _Kallafootonga_. Amongst them, they mention
_Toofooa-boolootoo_, God of the clouds and fog; _Talleteboo_, and some
others, residing in the heavens. The first in rank and power, who has
the government of the sea and its productions, is called _Futtafaihe_,
or, as it was sometimes pronounced, _Footafooa_; who, they say, is a
male, and has for his wife _Fykava kajeea_; and here, as in heaven,
there are several inferior potentates, such as _Vahaa fonooa_,
_Tareeava_, _Mattaba_, _Evaroo_, and others. The same religious system,
however, does not extend all over the cluster of the Friendly Isles; for
the supreme god of _Hapaee_, for instance, is called _Alo Alo_; and
other isles have two or three, of different names. But their notions of
the power and other attributes of these beings, are so very absurd, that
they suppose they have no farther concern with them after death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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