The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
The _morai_ (which, undoubtedly, is a place of worship, sacrifice, and
burial, at the same time), where the sacrifice was now offered, is that
where the supreme chief of the whole island is always buried, and is
appropriated to his family and some of the principal people. It differs
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 paved 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 of fruits 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. There are several other relics which ignorant
superstition had scattered about this place, such as small stones raised
in different parts of the pavement, some with bits of cloth tied round
them, others covered with it; and, upon the side of the large pile which
fronts the area, are placed a great many pieces of carved wood, which
are supposed to be sometimes the residence of their divinities, and,
consequently, held sacred. But one place, more particular than the rest,
is a heap of stones at one end of the large _whatta_, before which the
sacrifice was offered, with a kind of platform at one side. On this are
laid the skulls of all the human sacrifices, which are taken up after
they have been several months under ground. Just above them are placed a
great number of the pieces of wood; and it was also here where the
_maro_, and the other bundle supposed to contain the god _Ooro_ (and
which I call the ark), were laid during the ceremony; a circumstance
which denotes its agreement with the altar of other nations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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