The Atoll of Funafuti, Part 11896 |
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appearance Archipelago atoll bark beach breccia brokka canoes chief coconut oil coconut palm coconut shell colour coral islands coral rock cultivated described disease drifted drupe eaten Ellice Group Ellice Islanders Erivada European Fakaofo feet high fibre Fiji fish flowers foliage fruit Funafuti Gilbert Islands Gill Gill-Jottings Gill-loc gods ground grows Guinea height hundred husk inches inhabitants islet kernel king lagoon land leaf leaves Linn Mangrove Swamp Mariner-Tonga mats miles Moresby Morinda citrifolia Nanomana Nanomea natives Newell Niutao Nukufetau Nukulaelae Nukulailai nuts O'Brien ocean Palmerston Island Pandanus plants Polynesia population porpoise priest Queensland reef remarked Rhizophora roots S. J. Whitmee sacred Samoan scent Seemann Seemann-loc shingle bank shore soft soil South Pacific spathe species stones surf Sydney temple thatch tide toddy Tokelau Tongan tree trunk Turner Turner-loc turtle Vaitupu vegetation village windward wood worship
Popular passages
Page 52 - In describing the same rite, Turner says :* " Meat offerings were also laid on the altars, accompanied by songs and dances in honour of the god. While these ceremonies were going on all the population, except the priests and their attendants, kept out of sight.
Page 55 - They do not, however, herd indiscriminately. If you peep into a Samoan house at midnight, you will see five or six low oblong tents pitched (or rather strung up) here and there throughout the house. They are made of native-cloth, five feet high, and close all round down to the mat.
Page 40 - ... but slowly, and there is consequently but little evaporation of the water that is once absorbed. These islands moreover enclose ports of great extent, many admitting even the largest class of vessels : and the same lagoons are the pearl fisheries of the Pacific. An occasional log drifts to their shores, and at some of the more isolated atolls, where the natives are ignorant of any land but the spot they inhabit, they are deemed direct gifts from a propitiated deity.
Page 12 - ... ramparts of a kind of fortification. This deception -arose from the dazzling whiteness of the coral sand, in consequence of which, the slope of the beach was not distinguished in so distant a view. The emerged land beyond the beach, in its earliest stage when barely raised above the tides, appears like a vast field of ruins. Angular masses of coral rock, varying in dimensions from one to a hundred cubic feet, lie piled together in the utmost confusion ; and they are so blackened by exposure,...
Page 40 - An occasional log drifts to the shores, and at some of the more isolated atolls, where the natives are ignorant of any land but the spot they inhabit, they are deemed direct gifts from a propitiated deity. These drift-logs were noticed by Kotzebue, at the Marshall Islands, and he remarked also that they often brought stones in their roots. Similar facts have been observed at the Gilbert Group, and also at Enderby's Island, and many other coral islands in the Pacific.
Page 53 - The intention was to render it impossible for the dead to rise up and injure the living! The head of the buried corpse was always turned to the rising sun in accordance with their ancient solar worship.
Page 42 - ... right to speak ; this staff was very ancient, and the greatest treasure of their heralds and genealogists ; they said they brought it with them from Samoa, and named the valley where they came from thirty generations back. The staff was decayed or worm-eaten, and bound together by splints and sumit. Dr. Turner took it to Samoa, found that it was made of Samoan timber, visited the valley they named, and discovered a tradition there of a large party having gone to sea exploring, and never returning.
Page 52 - ... niggardly, and brought him little food. The priest performed incantations before the people went out to fish ; and to the anger or favour of the gods, the success or non-success of a fishing expedition was ascribed. Their dead are interred in the earth, and their graves are surrounded by a border of large stones, with a covering of small pieces of broken coral in the middle. These are generally very carefully kept in order. In the case of a chief, a mound is raised from two to four feet high...
Page 47 - It forms an important part of the religion of this island to consider every thing that arrives there, whether of great or little value, as the property of their gods; no matter whether it be a large canoe, or a log of wood. It is first offered to the gods by the priest, with an appropriate address*, and is afterwards shared out among the chiefs. This spoliation is believed to be necessary for...
Page 49 - In some of the southern islands, now christianised, there was only one sacred man in each village. He was chosen by the people from one particular family. At his death, his successor was generally, but not necessarily, his brother or son. If one failed to satisfy the people, he was deposed, and another chosen. This man was regarded as very holy. He dwelt with his family apart from the rest of the people. His house was generally built on piles over the shallow water in the lagoon.