Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-31

o
made in the ground in which some
stones are heated. The fire is then with
| drawn, the stones covered with nikdu
| palm leaves. or other material upon
| which the food is placed, and over this
| leaves are also placed. which are
| covered with earth. The Maori fire.
place is also Ike that Of the Arab, be-
ing a hole in the ground in the center
of the apartment. The art of making
pottery is stlll practiced by the Fi1ians,
New Caledonlans ana people Of Espiritu
| Santo
| Tattooing is common in Polynesia as
| well as IN Arabia. This practice OBJ
! tanned in Egypt before the time OF
Moses,by whom the Israelites were for
| hidden to make any marks upon their
| bodies In honor of the dead. 1t Is pos
| sible, however. that the lsraelites law
| fully made certain tattoo marks upon
/ them by which they were distinguished
| from the heather as worshippers Of
| God. The apostle perhaps referred to
such marks when he wrote to the CAL
| atlans of his bearing in his body the
| marks Of the Lord Jesus. The Israel
| itish laws respecting ceremonial un-
| cleanliness contracted by touching a
! dead body. at childbirth, etc. and the
modes of purncation--bath pour
| ing or sprinkling water over one, are
exactly reproduced In Polynesia. Facts
| and considerations seem irresistlbly
| to prove that the relation between the
! Oceanca race and the Isruclitish ma
| tion is as intimate as that between
Britain and America or Australia.
Among the New zealanders or Maories
| were preserved traditions concerning
the following subjects. viz: Their ar
| rival in New Zealand, the creation of
! the world, the conspiracy of the gods,
| the flood, the creation of man, Lots
wife, the first man, Adam, the Savior,
| persons being taken up to heaven alive;
| thus many of their traditions are an
| alogous to Jewish and Christian rec
| ords.
The Maoris had no marriage rites;
| yet there was custom among some of
| them called Pa Kuha, which consisted
! in giving n woman to her sultor; and
| was usually done when the people were
| assembled together in n set speech, by
the relatives of the female especially
| her brothers and uncles) the father
| and mother taking but little or no part
| in the proceedings. Young chiefs We're
Initiated into the PRIESTHOOD by the
| grandfather, II alive. The eldest son
| was heir to the priesthood, but FOR vari-
Gus reasons he may be deprived of that
| priesthood. The priests stand In great
awe OF unlawfully revealing the secrets
of thepriesthuod lest the gods should kill
them. The fact Of shedding blood as
| also that Of touching Il dead body, rem
| ders the Maori tapu or unclean, and
| until the tapu is removed by certain
ceremonies he cannot mingle with the
| others. The Polyneslans had fixed
laws relative to the possession OF land.
concerning individual possession, as al
, so tribal rights to land, to land taken
, in war and to other grounds on which
claims We're made to land. They have
4 strict laws relative to the burial of the
| dead.
The ancient Maois lived under n
| system analogous to the UNITED Or
| der" since the crops of n minor tribe
| or hapu We're common property. The
produce of hapu was stored alto
gether. and the food cooked at set
| tlement was n common meal, at which
all the hapu partook. The way in which
| their genoalogies We're preserved was
| this: II was n custom among them for
| the old men to assemble in II house
| built for the occasion, then to invite
| all the young chiefs of their tribe to
| listen to the recital OF their genealogy,
| which was done by one of the Did men
| commencing as far back as II had been
| taught; and after he had recited as
many names and historical statements
as he thought proper. he allowed an
] other old man to continue the account.
Thus each of the old men took his
| part in relating to their history.
| The following Polynesian customs are
| identical with those followed BY the
! ancient Israelites, viz:
l. Fringes We're worn on their gar
| ments. Numbers XIV: ST..
| 2. Cutting their bodies, and cutting
| off their hair In lamentatlon for the
| dead. Deut xiv: l. xii: o, Z. Lev.
| xix: 2S.
| 3. Any person touching n dead body
was polluted and kept separate until
| the pollution was removed by washing
| in water and other ceremonies. Num-
| bers xix.
L. Any vessel used for cooking food,
| touched by a person 50 polluted, was
| broken to pieces.
| 8. The bones of the dead. especially
| of the chiefs, We're carefully preserved,
| often in caves and sacred places
6, Warriors going ON dangerous ex-
| petition strictly observed the custom
\ recorded in Samuel xxi: 4, 8.
| Z. Women at regular periods Were
| kept separate from others.
| s. Marriages were always confined to
alliances with members of the same
tribe.
o. Poygamy was practiced.
TO- Conquered enemies were reduced
to slavery.
IL Adultery vas punished with
death.
49, Theft was punished by requiring
the thief to pay four times the value
of the thing stolen.
| 49, The land was the common prop
erty OF the tribe, each member being
| allowed to cultivate portion for his
| own beneit.
IA. The law OF tapu or conservation
was strictly observed.
10. The law of muru or of restitution
for Injuries carelessly or accidentally
inflicted was strictly enforced.
16. Lands conquered from their cne-
mics were considered to be forfeited.
II. The eldest son OF chief was
heir to his fathers craftsmanship or
priestly office.
IS. The issue Of a battle was some
times OWNED by the throwing of small
| darts.
TO- sorcerers were punished with
| DEATH
90 Grandchildren were rightfu heirs
to the property of their grandfather to
the exclusion OF their uncles.
81. Genealogies were strictly OBJ
| served.
% Their priests We're regarded as
sacred,
80 Priests professed to have the pow
err Of prophecy, of interpreting of
dreams, OF controlling the elements.
a. The shedding of blood in war rem
dered person unclean and until this
faint was removed by certain cero-
/ monies the warriors could not mix
| with the others.
%. Sacrifices were often made TO the
gods.
20. II Is still customary for n man 10
marry his brothers widow.
Not only are so many customs Of
| the Polynesian race Identified with
| similar Israclitish customs but the
| Poynesian language has its root in the
| Hebrew. IL has been shown that these
| various essential processes and parti-