his marae in the upper world, from time to time—the decayed corpse to be invariably thrown in the bush to his mother Papa.

Mangaia now for the first time emerged to the light of day, and became the centre of the universe. Its central hill was accordingly designated Rangimotia The centre of the heavens. The inhabitants of Mangaia were veritable men and women, as contrasted with the natives of other outlying islands, who were only tuarangi, or evil-spirits in the guise of humanity.

Vātea, or Avatea (= noon-day), was thus "the father of the gods and men," the three original tribes being regarded as the direct offspring of Rongo; all subsequent settlers and visitors were regarded as interlopers, to be, if possible, slain and offered in sacrifice.

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It is said that the "spirit" name of Tahiti is "Iti," i.e. "iti nga sun-rising. Tahiti simply means east, or "sun-rising," from hiti (our iti) to "rise:" ta being causative. That island was known in the Hervey Group by the name Iti or east" it is only of late years the full name Tahiti has become familiar.

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1 Yet the great Vātea possessed no marae, had no wooden or stone representation, nor was any worship ever paid to him.

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In song, the gods are called "te anau atea," i.e. “te anau a Vātea" "children of Vatea." The same shortened phrase is in use at Rarotonga: at Aitutaki and Atiu the full form “Avatea' is used, e.g. “kia kakā te mata o Avatea Nui” = “when the eye of Great Avatea (= noon) is open;" in other words, "when the sun is in its full glory;" still in contrast with the darkness and gloom of Avaiki, or Nether-world.

The ocean was known as Rauaika Nui, or The-vast-out-spreadplantain-leaf; that leaf being the largest in the world. The ocean was sometimes designated "the sea of Vātea;" at other times "the sea of Tane."

Above was the blue vault of solid stone, sustained originally by the frail props of Rū on the central hill of Mangaia, but afterwards permanently raised to its present height by the tremendous exertions of Maui. In all, there were said to be ten separate heavens, rising one above the other into immensity. These constituted the Elysium of the brave. Here, too, was the home of Tangaroa, the scarcely worshipped god of day.

Upon the brow of a hill, facing the setting sun, and near the great marae of the war-god, it is asserted that there once existed a deep, gloomy chasm (long since closed up), known as Tiki's hole (Te rua ia Tiki). This constituted the regular road to Avaiki, like the single aperture at the top of a cocoa-nut. Through it the three brothers descended to Avaiki, or ascended to the light of day, at pleasure.

The three brothers are always described as joint "kings," or "Nga ariki." The entire body of their descendants were there

1 A plantain leaf lying before me is eleven feet long and three broad.

fore called by the shorter form "Ngariki." To Rangi Rongo "the drum of peace; gave

to Mokoiro, the direction over food

of all kinds; to the pet-the youngest-Akatauira was given the 66 karakia," or prayers," and the sway over his brethren.

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Rangi, Mokoiro, and Akatauira were probably veritable persons, chiefs of the first settlers on Mangaia. Their wives were respectively named Tepotatango,1 Angarua, and Ruānge. Then came Papaaunuku, son of Tane-papa-kai, or Tane-giver-of-food. When Tane died he was worshipped by his son, who was sent for by Rangi as his priest. But Rangi was not pleased with Tane, as he spake only as a man, without frenzy, through his son Papaaunuku. His grandfather Rongo lived only in the shades; Rangi wished for a god who would live with him in this upper world. He therefore sent to Rarotonga to ask Tangiia, a renowned warrior-king of that island, to send him over one of his sons "who had grown up under the sacred shade of the tamanu leaves" to be his god. Rangi's wish was gratified, and Motoro was fixed upon by his father for the purpose.

Tangaroa had one marae, and that almost neglected, the only offering ever presented being the first-fruits of all newly-planted cocoa-nut groves—the tiny buds, which eventually become nuts. This was simply a recognition of his primogeniture. But the island was supposed to belong to Rongo and Motoro: the one god ruling the dead; the other the living.

Doubtless the worship of Tangaroa, Rongo, Tane, and possibly the Lizard god of Tongaiti, represented a much earlier and more widely-diffused system of idolatry than prevailed

1 Bottom of Hades.

here in historical times, when the children of Tangiia were deified.

The heathen intellect has no conception of a Supreme Being creating a universe out of nothing. At Mangaia the idea of divinity was pared down to a mere nothing. Whenever the gods make anything, the existence of the raw material, at least in part, is presupposed.

The primary conception of these islanders as to spiritual existence is a point. Then of something pulsating. Next of something greater, everlasting.

Now comes the Great Mother and Originator of all things. For the first time we meet with the ideas of volition and creation. Vari is represented as a female, on account of fecundity, she being the original of all the gods, and, remotely, of mankind. The arrangement of various lands in Avaiki, and the apportionment of the different functions of air, earth, and sea, are hers. The ninth night of every moon was sacred to her. Yet Vari is incapable of speech, and lives in darkness, her solace being the constant society of an affectionate daughter.

In the description of her first-made (not born) son, Bright Noon (Avatea, or Vātea), one of whose eyes is the sun, we gain the first idea of majesty as associated with divinity. The ocean is his; his children, born like ourselves, are the great gods who direct the affairs of the universe, and are worshipped by mortals. To them belong the maraes and idols; they receive offerings of food and listen to the prayers of mankind.

And yet, strangely enough, associated with these original gods are the deified heroes of antiquity, in no wise inferior to their fellow divinities.

Birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and specially inspired priests, were

reverenced as incarnations, mouth-pieces, or messengers of the gods.

The gods were supposed to have distinct functions; their quarrels were reflected in the wars of men. But none create, in the proper sense of that term. The Great Mother approximates nearest to the dignity of creator; but when she makes a child, it is out of a bit of her own body. She herself is dependent on three prior existences destitute of human form.

The earth is not made, but is a thing dragged up from the shades; and is but the gross outward form of an invisible essence still there. At least ten heavens are built of azure stone, one above another (to correspond with the different lands in Netherworld), with apertures for inter-communication; but the stones were pre-existent.

The principal words used by the ancient sages in speaking on this subject are

1. Vari = Beginning. This important word is used when describing the commencement of any new order of things. The Great Mother herself is Vari-ma-te-takere.

Strangely enough, at the sister island of Rarotonga this word no longer means "beginning," but "mud;" agreeing, however, with the sense of the Mangaian reduplicate "varivari" = muddy.

Evidently, then, apart from their mythological views, these people imagined that once the world was a "chaos of mud," out of which some mighty unseen Agent, whom they called Vari, evolved the present order of things.

2. Pua ua mai = Bud forth, or blossom, as of a tree. Evidently here is no fit conception of creative power.