ry
meats, dressed in coverings of leaves on hot stones, in Maori pahs, or in
New Caledonian villages, than among the comparatively civilized natives
of the country where I now found myself. Among the common people,
especially, there was no notion of hanging or keeping meat. Often have I
seen a man kill a hog on the floor of his house, cut it up, toast it, as
one may say, at the fire, and then offer the grilled and frequently under-
done flesh to his guests. Invariably the guests are obliged to witness
the slaughter of the animal which is to supply their dinner. This
slaughter is performed as a kind of sacrifice; the legs of the beast are
the portions of the gods, and are laid, with bits of fat, upon the
altars. Then chops, or rather kabobs, of meat are hacked off, spitted,
and grilled or roasted at the fire. Consequently all the meat tasted in
this island is actually "meat offered to idols."

When I made this discovery the shock was very great, and I feared I was
repeating a sin denounced from the earliest ages. But what was I to do?
Not the meat only, but the vegetables, the fruit, the grain, the very
fish (which the natives never eat except under stress of great hunger),
were sacred to one or other of their innumerable idols. I must eat, or
starve myself to death--a form of suicide. I therefore made up my mind
to eat without scruple, remembering that the gods of the nations are
nothing at all, but the fancies of vain dreamers, and the invention of
greedy and self-seeking priests.

These scruples were of later growth, after I had learned that their meals
were invariably preceded by a sacrifice, partly to provide the food,
partly as grace before meat. On the present occasion I made an excellent
supper, though put to a good deal of inconvenience by the want of forks,
which were entirely unknown on the island. Finding that I would not
taste the alcoholic liquor, which the natives always mixed with a large
proportion of water, Doto rose, went out, and returned with a great bowl
of ivy-wood, curiously carved, and full of milk. In this permitted
beverage, as my spirits were rising, I drank the young lady's health,
indicating my gratitude as well as I could. She bowed gracefully, and
returned to her task of embroidery. Meanwhile her father and mother were
deep in conversation, and paid no attention to me, obviously
understanding that my chief need was food. I could not but see that the
face of the chief's wife