State Library of NSW
[Page 481]
Manners & Customs of the South Sea Islands
he found it almost impossible in short it is only needfull to remember how dificult it would be to reconcile the apparent inconsistencies of our own religion to the faith of an infidel & to recolect how many excellent discourses are daily read to instruct even us in the faith which we profess as articles of excuse in my favour when I declare that I know less of the religion of these people than of any other part of their policy. What I do know however I shall here write down wishing that inconsistencies may not appear to the eye of the candid reader as absurdities
This Universe & its marvelous parts must strike the most ignorant stupid with a desire of knowing from whence themselves & it were producd Their Preists however have not Ideas sufficiently enlarg'd to adopt that of Creation that this world should have been originaly created from nothing far surpasses their comprehension They observd however that every animal & every plant producd new ones by procreation & adopted the Idea hence it is necessary to suppose two original beings one of whom they call Ettoomoo & the other which they say was a rock
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