Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-08-29


lluiioo TO destroy the whole system OF
idolatry. II is supposed that this was
done with full deliberation, with the con-
sent Of all who had any voice in the gov
ernment, and without any opposition from
the people. With respect 10 these trans
actions, we have the most explicit state
ments from two eye-witnesses, masters OF
vessels, who have long been conversant
with these islands, Capt. Blair and Capt.
Clark, both OF Boston. When the reso-
luton was taken, orders were issued to set
the buildings and enclosures consecrated
TO idolatry, on fire; and while the flames
were raging, the idols were thrown down,
stripped Of the cloth hung over them. and
cast into the fire; and what is still more
marvellous, the whole taboo system was
destroyed the same day. The sacred
buildings were some of them thirty feet
square. The sides we're formed by posts
2 or IA feet high, stuck into the ground,
and the intervals filled with dry grass.
The roofs we're steep and thatched with
grass, in such maoner as to defend from
rain. The morals or sacred Enclosures
were formed by sort Of fence, and were
places where human sacrifices were for.
merly practised. Before these Enclosures
stood the idols, from 3 to Ia feet high, the
upper part being carved into hideous
resemblance of the human face.
The taboo system was that, which was
perpetuaiIy used to inierdict certain kinds
of food, the doing Of certain things on
certain days, &c. &C.; in short, TO forbid
whatever the king wished not to be done.
On some subjects the taboo was 10 constant
operation, aud had been, very probably,
for thousands of years. 1t forbade women
and meR TO eat together, or 10 eat food
cooked by the same fire. Certain kinds
of food were utterly forbidden TO the wo-
men; particularly pork aud plantains, two
very important articles in those islands.
At the new moon, full, and quarters, when
the king was 10 the moral, performing the
various mummeries of idolatry, it was
forbidden to women to go on the water.
Every breach of the taboo exposed the
delinquent to the punishment Of death.
But SO well was the system understood by
the people, and SO great was the dread OF
transgression. that the taboo laws were
very rigidly observed. We have said,
that the taboo system has probably been
10 operation thousands of years. Our
reasons for thinking SO are these. The
same system prevailed in the Society
Islands, at the distance Of three thousand
miles nearly, and in New Zealand, at the
distance of five thousand miles while the
New Zealanders have been so long sepa-
rated from the Sandwich Islanders that the
languages Of the two classes Of people have
become exceedingly different. The in.
l,a5itants of these remote islands probably
never had any communication with each
other till very recently, aud now 10 Eu-
ropean aud American vessels only. But
they must have descended from the same
race of men, after the taboo system had
been formed and was in full operation.
This must have been long ago; but how
long it would be useless to conjecture.
Captains Blair and Clark left 0whyhee
about the 25th Of November, and carried
down to Woahoo and Atooi the kings or.
ders to burn the monuments Of idolatry
there also. The order was promptly obey
ed in both islands. In Atooi the morals
and all the consecrated buildings, with the
idols, we're on fire the first evening after
the order arrived.
The people of all these islands had
heard what had been done at the Society
Islands; aud there is no doubt that Provi-
dence made use Of this intelligence TO pre-
pare them for SO wonderful change.
Captain Blair informs as, that native
chief named Tiamoko, called by Ameri.
cans Governor Cor, has been inclined to
speak very CONTEMPORARY Of the whole
system of idolatry. He was the chief man
ia the island Of Mowee. The chiefs and
people in all the islands expressed desire
that missionaries might arrive, aud teach
them to read and write, as the people Of
the Society Islands had been taught. Ia
moree, king Of Atooi, and father of George,
who went with the missionaries, was par
ticularly DESTROYS that teachers should ar
rive. He was very anxious to see his
son, aud has sent one of his subjects, by
vessel now on her way from Canton TO
Boston, with an express order for George
TO return. He has also manifested great
wish to visit Pomaree, at Otaheite, and
see for himself the change that has taken
place there.
Both Captain Blair aud Captain Clark,
who have been acquainted with these ISL
ands for more than twenty years, are con.
fident. that the missionaries will be joy
ly received by the natives that now is
the very time for their arrival; and that
their services are peculiarly necessary to
introduce the truth after the destruction