198 Different orders of priests in Olaheile, OTAHEITAN PRIESTS. There is a considerable order of Priests, who are divided into two classes, the Tahowra Morai, and the Tahowra 'Tooa. The Tahorra Morai are the Priests who officiate and present the offerings at the Morai, the sacred place appointed for those services, and always accompanied with prayers, and these sometimes of considerable length. One of the most ingenious and attentive observers of mankind suggested to me, what was afterwards fully confirmed by the testimonies of others, that the language of the ceremonies of religion, and of the priests on those occasions, was wholly different from that in common use, and, he is persuaded, not understood by the natives themselves; and he supposed that even the priests, though they have retained the words, have no knowledge of the language.-Omai would often chant a kind of hymn or prayer on the quarter deck, but could never explain the meaning of the words he uttered; nor could those who were perfect masters of the language spoken, by long residence in the island, understand any thing they heard, or procure information on the subject. Whether it be a piece of priestcraft to affect mystery, or a traditionary ritual, transmitted from father to son, in a tongue once perhaps sacred, but now lost, seems inexplicable. Lieut. C. says, he thought it metrical. The chiefs on occasion seem to officiate as priests, in making offerings, and praying for their friends when sick; but the great burden rests with the priesthood, and they are called upon on all occasions of births, deaths, feasts, sickness, calamities, &c. so that, though they are a numerous body, they have plenty of employ ment. Minni Minni, seems, according to Lieut. Corner and Capt. New, to hold a distinguished rank among them, and to be a chief Priest, and high in Otoo's favour. They have an ark or chest in which is kept a bundle of feathers, a sacred Teraphim, and called by the name of Etopa, without which, he said, they could do nothing. This ark, Lieut. C— particularly examined with his Bible in his hand, and it answered exactly to the dimensions of the ark of the covenant in Leviticus. The Lieutenant asked Minni Minni, if this Etooa was destroyed or lost, what he could do then? Minni laughed, and said, his ancestors had brought this Etooa into the island, and, on occasion, knew where to find one of the same sort. This ark seems to migrate with the chief Priest to other islands, being with Minni Minni at Huaheine when Capt. New arrived, but returned to Matavai during his stay. Jordan, an English resident on the island, also assured him, that this priest was an arrant juggler, who, pretending to consult the Etooa, went behind a screen, and praying in one tone of voice, answered himself in another, which he affirmed to be the answer of the Etooa to his prayer. But there are a peculiar class of priests, who are called Tahowra 'tood, the priests of the deity, who pretend to the most extraordinary inspiration. These also are numerous. Some of them pretend closed and their mode of performing religious offerings. 199 only particular communication, with one only of their deities; but some affect intimate union with the three superior Etooas, and are consequently respected as men of singular endowments, and gain themselves great attention by their skill in performing their parts in this kind of service. Indeed, they manage the with so process much cunning and address, that some of our own people were staggered, and ready sometimes to suppose the appearances truly supernatural. It is chiefly on the more momentous occasions that these priests exhibit, as the supreme deity must not be troubled about matters of less importance: but in the view of war, under great calamity, the sickness of a chief, and the like. They are dressed in a most fantastic garb, enriched with red and black feathers, to which they suppose the Etooa partial, that as soon as ever the offering is made, he descends on the Morai in one of their sacred birds like a heron, and at their call passes into their bodies: instantly the priest begins to stretch and yawn, to rub his arms, and thighs and legs, and his whole body becomes convulsed, and inflated, as if it was ready to burst. His eyes are thrown into the strangest contortions, sometimes wildly staring, sometimes almost up, and every limb and feature appears to have undergone some sudden and surprising change. The speech sometimes is low and muttering, with a peculiar kind of terrible squeaking at intervals; sometimes the voice is raised to the most stupendous pitch, as if bursting for utterance. Though his discourse is intelligible, he affects not to know any of the persons which are around him, nor to be himself sensible of what he is uttering; yet what is spoken on these occasions passes for oracular, and the very voice of God. Thus whatever he asks for, if it can be obtained in the island, it never is refused: and, on these occasions he often makes pretty large demands, though he professes himself to know nothing that hath passed. He has always, however, a colleague and assistant of the same trade, who takes care to note down what the Etooa demands, and the person, on whose account the Etooa thus condescends to come down to earth, and give his responses, carefully accomplishes all his injunctions. When the deity quits the pretended inspired Priest, he doth it with such violence and convulsions, that the body is left motionless on the ground, and this is contrived at the moment when one of the sacred or Etooa birds takes his flight from the Morai, into whom the Etooa is supposed to return. On the first symptoms of returning life, he utters a loud shriek; and sometimes appears as awaking out of a profound sleep, and unconscious that any thing hath happened. AFRICAN GENIUS. It is disputed whether Africans possess a genius for improvement, a foundation in their nature, on which improvements may be raised. As this dispute has sometimes been conducted, it amounts to this question whether the Bible history is true, and God has actually made of one blood all the nations of men, who dwell on the face of the earth;" or whether the Bible be false, and the 200. Evidences of African Genius. several nations have had as many distinct first fathers, as there are diversities of complexion and character existing amongst men? Let the infidel prove his position if he can, and enjoy the special and diabolical satisfaction of having taken away the last hope of man ; but let the christian beware how he harbours, for a moment, principles which lead to infidelity, the bosom of eternal night and misery. Laying aside, however, the reveries of "philosophy falsely so called," what is the fact,-under all their disadvantages, what have Africans been able to perform? There was a time, when at Rome, who became soon after the mistress of the world, it would not have been a question whether Africa could boast at leasst of military prowess; for her rival, Carthage, an African government, had too recently sent her implacable Hannibal to thunder at the gates of the proud city; and not the Roman arms, but the vineyards of Capua defeated the triumphant invaders. The famous "Delenda est Carthago" proves how much Cato dreaded the military arms of Africa. But this is a sort of infernal excellence. What then was the learning of Africa? We know she has been famous for learning. The Alexandrian library was a monument scarcely less prodigious than the pyramids, which are to this day the wonder of the world. When the Khaliff Omar ordered it to the flames, the Alexandrian library made fuel to heat for six months the baths of the city: this was Africa. What has Africa done for religion? Africa has, according to the received account, given to the world the Septuagint version of the Old Testament Scriptures; a work of incalculable benefit; a work which the holy Redeemer and his apostles read and quoted in their discourses. Africa was once adorned with christian churches, and her extended plains, sprinkled with communities of the faithful, resounded with the praises of redeeming love. Africa fell late before the corruptions of the secularized church. She long withstood the prevailing errors: purity of doctrine, purity of disipline. power of religion, have all distingushed the African churches. Africa has furnished a NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS for the " Jesus." Africa has had distinguished theologians, teachers of christestimony of tian doctrine. Some of the most eminent of the christian fathers taught in Africa. Augustine, and Cyprian, luminaries of the christian church, were natives of Africa; Europe and America acknow ledge their worth to the present day. O Africa! despised, insulted, injured, bleeding Africa! Is it not enough that the sword of persecution "made havock of thy church?" is it not enough that the Roman ambition ravished thy country? is it not enough that the dark cloud from the bottomless pit, Rev. ix. 2. that Mahomedan delusion and desolation overcast thy sky, blasting and annihilating the remains of culture and refinement? is it not enough that the victims of slavery have been sought from thy bosom by the foulest corruption, and by barbarous wars, originated and fomented to fill the market with the "sinews and the bones of man?" is it not enough that every Formation of a Bible Society at Malta. 201 avenue to intellectual improvement has been closed, and the most direct methods employed to corrupt thy moral and debase thy intellectual man? is it not enough, but we must deny the existence of thy germ of genius, the possibility of thy intellectual elevation? Double distilled injustice!! Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear; The writer intended to have cited some specimens of African genius, and capacity for improvement; but another time must be chosen. A. B. Montgomery, Nov. 14. Christian Messenger. FROM THE MISSIONARY REGISTER. Formation and importance of the Bible Society in Malta. We are most happy to announce the formation of a Bible society in a spot so favourable as Malta for the circulation of the Scriptures. The establishment of this institution is no common Occurrence. The part which the head of the Roman Catholic church has lately taken, in opposing the circulation, without note or comment, of the pure word of God, has thrown difficulties in the way of the formation and operation of Bible societies in countries where, like Malta and a great part of the European coast of the Mediterranean, the power of that church is dominant: but there are multitudes, even in that communion, who have so felt in themselves and witnessed in others the benign influence of the Scriptures, that they consider it criminal to withhold this bread of life from perishing souls, and some, in the true spirit of martyrdom, are willing to encounter the loss of all things, rather than hide the sacred light under a bushel. But all the other christian churches round the Mediterranean, besides the Roman Catholic, are so far from inhibiting or fettering the circulation of the divine word, that they receive it, when offered to them, with joy and gratitude, and hail with exultation the prospects of its free distribution among them; and in thus acting, they are drawing a deeper and broader line of distinction between themselves and the Roman church than history has yet shown; and will, doubtless, recover the primitive truth, and simplicity, and energy of the christian church, in proportion as they open among themselves a free access for the light of the Scriptures. We are, indeed, sufficiently aware, that, by treaty, the Roman Catholic creed is to be left in undisturbed possession of Malta. But neither ought Christian missionaries in Malta, nor the supporters of a Bible society there, to awaken any jealousy in the minds of Roman Catholics. Their object is, the diffusion of the truth, and of the records which contain it, wherever, particularly on the shores of the Mediterranean and the Euxine, men are found willing 202 Importance of the Bible Establishment at Malta. to receive them. Besides the numerous tribes of Greek, Armenian, Syrian, Coptic, and Abyssinian Christians, who are eager to receive the Scriptures, the Jews and Mahomedans, scattered on the shores of these great inland seas, accept with thankfulness, copies of the divine work. And, by the good Providence of God, the Scriptures are in preparation for all these tribes. The British and Foreign Bible Society, with the Bible society of the Russian empire, and their numerous fellow labourers, will, at no great distance of time, almost renew the wonders of the day of Pentecost. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Capadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphilia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians— all will read in their own tongues the wonderful works of God!The Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Tartar, Armenian, and Syriac Scriptures are in part published; and measures are taking for their completion. Mr. Jowett will devote himself to the modern Greek: the Jews' Society has nearly finished the Hebrew New Testament: and measures are in progress for preparing the Ethiopic, for the revival of the Abyssinian churches. An abundant supply of the sacred oracles in all the European languages is ready, wherever wanted. At such a seasonable time, and under such favourable circumstances, the Bible society at Malta has been formed. It was not constituted an auxiliary to the British and Foreign Bible Society, because it was thought requisite, in order to allay groundless apprehensions, to form itself, in some respects, under more restricted regulations than that society; particularly with regard to Italian Scriptures, which, by one of its rules, are to be circulated by it only in the excellent version of Martini, archbishop of Florence, in order to obviate the objections which have been urged against the Protestant versions. The committee of the society consists of three Englishmen, three Maltese, and three foreigners. There are three secretaries, who are the Rev. William Jowett, the Rev. Isaac Lowndes, and Dr. Cleardo Naudi. The establishment of the society is very much due to the zeal and exertions of Mr. Henry Drummond, who visited the island from Naples, where he had been actively employed in the printing of Tracts and the Scriptures in Italian. It was formed by the union among themselves of some zealous friends of the great cause; not at a public meeting, assembled as usual for the occasion, as circumstances rendered that impracticable. We doubt not but that the society will receive that countenance and sup port from all the friends of truth in the Mediterranean, which its objects demand. A main point is gained in the establishment of an organized institution. Its correspondence will immediately branch out to perhaps twenty ports round the Mediterranean, in which places the circulation of the rules of the society will make |