JOHN RENTON.—A ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4589, 4 December 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

JOHN RENTON.—A ROMANCE OF THE SEA.

(From the Queenslander.) IV. Although pretty Boree and her baby slept the sleep of her ancestors, as recounted last week, she was not exactly buried. The reader need not start; she was -not eaten. Although Renton speaks of the inland tribes or bushmen as cannibals, he defends his coast friends from a like charge. They have plenty of fish and not a few pigs, he says, and do not crave for human ffesh ; while, on the other hand, .the bushmen have only pigs < without any fish, except such as they can procure by barter' of yams, and they are utter cannibals, professing to prefer the human bonne boucke to all other, food whatsoever. The distinction between fish* and no fish appears certainly insufficient to account for the abstinence of the .coast tribes as compared with those of' the bush, hut it is our business merely to relate what Renton himself stated. • The disposal of their dead is one of the traditional customs which frequently enable antiquarians to trace the scattered fragments of some ancient nation, in spite of the expiration of centuries. We question whether the method, practised on Malayta Island is precedented by the custom of any aucient race. It appears, in fact, to have been in part an outcome of the peculiar situation of the tribes, surrounded everywhere by water, although Renton was understood to signify that the bushmen followed: the same postmortem fashions. The natives do not bury their dead in the fashion now generally prevalent throughout the world. The body: of a chief is, after death, swathed in many folds of the leaves of a particular tree; and deposited in a sort of canoe-shaped coffin, which is placed on forked posts a few feet above ithe’ floor of one of the men’s huts, in the division specially set apart to the gods—of which more anon. In the bottom of the canoe is a hole, to which a tube of bamboo is applied, and perfectly caulked at the junction, the other end of the tube being sunk through the floor, and terminating below water mark among the stones and shingle which form the artificial ground of the 5 village. The body is further covered and tightly packed with fine scrapings, from the wood of the same tree which furnishes the leaves in which it is enveloped, and which must havo extraordinary anti Septic qualities, as no offensive;odourwhatevoraunoys, the inhabitants of the hut. After a sufficient time has elapsed—so many moqnsr-tho envelopes of - the . upper, part of the body; are opened, and the corpse is found to be perfectly dessicated, the juices of the body haying drained away through the tube; The head is i then easily detached,' being,.broken off at;the.

neck like a dry stick; The remains are then removed to a tabooed or sacred place among the trees, and the head is retained, and, enclosed in a bag of matting, is laid upon* a shelf at the back of the hut. In the case of a great chief or warrior, an elaborate casket is prepared to contain the head. This is carved of wood in the shape of 'a porpoise, with lid complete, the fish being. accurately designed, colored, and ornamented with shells or beads. This head then becomes one of the gods. In the larger huts about a third of the interior space is partitioned off by a beam, and is held particularly sacred and holy, numberless heads being disposed in tows on shelves lining the walls. The bodies of ordinary individuals and of women are treated in somewhat similar fashion, but their heads are simply stored away as among ns a careful housekeeper would keep her preserves, most huts being embellished by shelves full of matting bags, each containing a head ; and to prevent confusion, and preserve a record of identity, each has attached some distinguishing mark or label of shell. Whatever ideas of religion exist among this curious race are connected with these relics. Their idea appears to be that the spirit of the dead continues to Unger around the mummy head, and to be conscious of the events occurring in its presence. On all important occasions these gods are appealed to. Their good will is sought to bo secured by propitiatory offerings. As in most other systems of theology, the gods are presumed to delight in whatever is most valued among their worshippers. They are seldom appealed to without a collection being made during the service. Of all the articles which go to form wealth in these communities, a pig is the most valuable, and accordingly the gods are never approached on great occasions without a sacrifice of the unhappy porkers. On extraordinary occasions a perfect hecatomb of swine are offered up. Not everyone may approach the divinities. Even among this rude people a class have discovered the convenience of appointing themselves intercessors. This office is generally held by the chiefs, who, as far as we could gather, appear to be hereditary. On the eve of great undertakings, a large fire is kindled within the sacred enclosure in the hut, and upon this the burnt offering of pigs are so disposed that the smoko and savor of their roasting may be wafted around the grim deities’ nostrils. In the whole affair there is a remarkable similarity to like processes under the Mosaic law. It is not everyone whose worldly possessions range as high as a porker, however ; but as everyone feels it incumbent on him to present something, a curious provision is made beforehand. It frequently happens that out of a litter of pigs one or more do not live. These still-born beasts are carefully preserved by drying, and stored away for religious uses. When a solemn ceremony is in progress, each worshipper brings to the officiating priest a tiny morsel of this dried pig wrapped up in leaves, and contributes it towards the ceremony. , The priest. is engaged withih the holy place in the service of the altar, carefully attending to the burnt-offering, so that it may not be overdone. He is deeply impressed by the occasion, and wears a solemn and reverend aspect. He receives the mystic morsel from the worshipper, and with many 'contortions and snorts lays it before the deity. He proceeds then to invoke the powers on behalf of this particular communicant. This he effects by a series of impressive gasps, keeping the mouth open and expelling the air forcibly from his lungs, so making a peculiar sound of an extremely sacrednature. The worshipper finds the greatest comfort in this awful ceremony, and after presenting his offering, which appears to he somewhat analogous to the threepenny bits of devotees nearer home, be is,prepared to cast fear to the winds. He believes himself invulnerable in the coming war. and supported by the consciousness of the immunity from wound or harm granted by the gods, will rush without hesitation into the midst Of a hundred foes. ‘ Readers cannot fail to perceive the similarity between this priestly process tod the habit of our own church dignitaries of consecrating regimental .'colors, praying' for blessings on onr troops, and performing a service over war ships. . The fallacy of the sayage. religion, however, is made apparent, as Renton states, ! by warriors occasionally losing 1 th<?ir:: lives, or suffering defeat in spite of the favor of their deities and the invocation of their priests. This, however, is; understood ini no way to derogate from the vital truths of their religion, or the mystic powers of the priests. It is very simply explained away by the latter. The unfortunate warrior has been mistaken in. supposing, himself in favor with, the gods.’ He has been guilty of some unpardonable lapse at some time, and offering has been 1 in vain. All these great religious ceremonies are concluded by"the priests .reverently eating the roasted pig, which is too holy for any other stomach. ... . i ■