Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 . ty of the chief, the ambati could scarcely practise their mum-meries without detection. The priests, when their services are not wanted by the chiefs, aresometimes driven to straits for food. In such cases they have recourseto the fears of the people, and among other modes of intimidation,threaten to eat them if their demands are not complied with. Togive force to the menace, they pretend to have had communicationwith the god in dreams, and assemble the people to hear the messageof the deity.
Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 . ty of the chief, the ambati could scarcely practise their mum-meries without detection. The priests, when their services are not wanted by the chiefs, aresometimes driven to straits for food. In such cases they have recourseto the fears of the people, and among other modes of intimidation,threaten to eat them if their demands are not complied with. Togive force to the menace, they pretend to have had communicationwith the god in dreams, and assemble the people to hear the messageof the deity. This message is always portentous of evil; the simplenatives are thus induced to make propitiatory offerings, which thepriest applies to his own use. The priest at Levuka pretends to receive oracles from a miniaturembure, which he keeps behind a screen in the spirit-house. Thisengine of superstition is of the form represented in the figure is about four feet high; the base is about fifteen inches sqxiare; itis hollow within, has an ear on one side of it, and a mouth and noseon the FEEJEE ORACLE. CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. 95 This oracle is covered with scarlet and white seeds, about the sizeof a large pea, which are stuck upon it in fantastic figures with the priest this is a labour-saving machine; for, on ordinary occa-sions, instead of going through the performance we have described, hemerely whispers in the ear of the model, and pretends to receive ananswer by applying his own ear to its mouth. The occasions on which the priests are required to shake, areusually of the following kinds: to implore good crops of yams andtaro; on going to battle; for propitious voyages; for rain; for storms, todrive boats and ships ashore, in order that the natives may seize theproperty they are freighted with; and for the destruction of theirenemies. When the prayers offered are for a deliverance from famine, thepriest directs the people to return to their houses, in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade184, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
