Narrative of a tour through Hawaii, or, Owhyhee: with observations on the natural of the Sandwich Islands. And remarks on the manners, customs, traditions, history, and language of the inhabitants / By William Ellis.

  • Ellis, William, 1794-1872.
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Narrative of a tour through Hawaii, or, Owhyhee: with observations on the natural of the Sandwich Islands. And remarks on the manners, customs, traditions, history, and language of the inhabitants / By William Ellis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Within a few yards of the upper edge of the pass, under the shade of surrounding bushes and trees, two rude and shapeless stone idols are fixed, one on each side of the path, which the natives call Akua no lea Pari, gods of the precipice ; they are usually covered with pieces of white tapa, native cloth; and every native who passes by to the precipice, if he intends to descend, lays a green bough before these idols, en- circles them with a garland of flowers, or wraps a piece of tapa round them, to render them propitious to his descent; all who ascend from the opposite side make a similar acknowledgment for the supposed pro- tection of the deities, whom they imagine to preside over the fearful pass. This practice appears universal, for in our travels among the islands, we have seldom pass- ed any steep or dangerous paths, at the commencement or termination of which we have not seen these images, with heaps of offerings lying before them. Until very recently, it is evident the influence of superstition was very strong in the minds of the great mass of the peo- ple, for although the natives who accompanied us in our excursions, either from a conviction of the absurdity of the notions of their countrymen, or from mere wanton- ness, usually overturned the idols, battered them with stones, or rolled them down the precipice or passage which they were supposed to defend; yet on passing the same path only a very short time afterwards, we have invariably found them replaced, or, if broken, their places supplied by fresh ones. This conduct of our native companions was never the consequence of our direc- tions, and seldom received our approbation, for we were not ambitious to become Iconoclasts; our object was rather to enlighten the minds of the people, and con-