State Library of NSW
[Page 489]
Manners & Customs of the South Sea Islands
upon its antiquity so are these esteemd in the Society Isles especialy Ulhietea were some of great antiquity particularly that of Tapodeboatea; the building of these is rough & coarse but the stones of which they are composd immensely large. At Otahite again where either from frequent wars or other accidents many of the most ancient families are extinct they have tried to make them as elegant & expensive as possible of which sort is that of Oamo describd in the Journal of going round the Island
Besides their Gods each Island has a Bird to which the Title of Eatua or God is given for instance Ulietea has the Heron & Bola Bola a kind of Kingfisher these birds are held in high respect, & by no means killd or molested. They are thought to be givers of Good or Bad fortune but no kind of Worship is offerd to them
Tho I dare not assert that these people to whoom the art of writing & consequently
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