The sun., 1891-05-17

But Il will not do. The lady OF the flowers had
been long dead, and her spirit was still sup
posed to bear the brand OF perishnbillty. The
resident had been more than a fortnight
buried. ind his vampire was still supposed to
60 the rounds.
OF the last state OF the dead. from the lurid
ManRaan legend. In which internal deities
harass ana destroy the souls OF oil. to the
various submarine and aerial limbos where
the dead feast, float idle. or resume the occupa-
tions OF their life on earth. 1t would DO weari-
some to toll Ono story give. for 1t ia singular
In itself. is we'll known In Tahiti, and has this
OF interest. that 1t ia post Christian. dating, in
deed. from but a few years back. APrinoess OF
the reignng house died. was transported to the
nelRhboring isle Of Reiatea fell there under the
empire OF spirit who condemned her to climb
cocoa palms all day and bring him the nuts:
was found after some time in this miserable
servitude by q second spirit. ono OF her
own house: and by him. upon her
lamentations reconveyed to Tahiti whore
she found hor body still marked but
alteady swollen with tho approaches Of cor.
ruption. 1t is lively point In the tale that. op
the sight Of this dishonored tabernacle. tho
Princess prayed she might continue to bo
numbered with tho dead. But It seems It was
too late, her spirit was replaced by tho least
dignifled OF entrances. and her star.
tied family beheld the body move. The SEEM
ingly purRatorlal labors. the helpful kindred
spirit. and tho horror OF the Princess at tho
sight Of hor tainted body. are oil points to be
remarked.
The truth is the tales are not noce ssarily oon-
sistent In themselves; and they are further
darkened for the stranger by an ambiguity Of
language. Ghosts vampires. spirits, and gods
are all confounded And yet I seem to por.
ceive that with exceptions) those whom wo
would count gods were not malencent. Peg.
manent spirits haunt and do murder In cornors
OF Samoa: but those legitimate gods OF Upolu
and Savaii. whore wars and crickotlnRs OF late
convulsed society did not gather to DO
dreaded or not with a like fear. The spirit OF
Aana that ate souls Is certainly a fearsome In
mate: but tho high gods. even OF the archi-
pelaRo, seem even helpful. Mahlnui-for whom
one conviot-catechist had boon named-the
spirit Of the sea- like Proteus. endowed with
endless avatars. came to tho assistance Of tho
shipwrecked. and carried them ashore in tho
guse OF ray fish. The same divinity boro
priests from isle to isle about the archipelago,
and by his aid. within the century, persons
have been seen to fly. The tutelar deity Of
each isle is likewise helpful. and by a particu.
lar form of wedges shaped cloud on the hori-
zon. announces tho coming OF q ship.
10 one who concelves Of these atolls, 30 mar.
row. so barron. SO beset In the sea. here would
seem superfuity OF ghostly denizens. And
yet there are more. In tho various brackish
pools and ponds. beautiful women with long
red hair are seen to rise and bathe. only Uimid
as mice) on the first sound OF feet upon the
coral thoy dive again forever. They arc
known to be healthy and harmless living
people. dwellers OF On underworld: and the
same fancy is current in Tahiti. whore also
they have tho hair red. Tea Is the Tahitiau
name: the Paumotuan. Mokurea.
Even white sailors who ply in the archpel-
what seem TO be so 1t Is possible enough that
an atoll may be visible to great distances, BY
the atmosphere That cloud always indi.
Gates tho position OF q navigable passage I
think we may deny.
ROBERT LOUIS STEvENsox.