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family, are Generally torn to pieces, the Cloth is generally torn in ribbands, which are worn as Trophies, and preferd to whole pieces obtaind any other Way, the Fowles are frequently torn in pieces and the Hogs and Goats often Get Killd in the Scramble — but if a Man takes a Hog fairly, it is his own; and none will attempt to wrest it from him except two or more happen to lay hold at the same time; and should a Man receive a bruise or breake a limb by being thrown he never blames any person, as they never willingly hurt each other.
Tho the Chiefs or Ratirras have power to put on these Rahooes on their land, without the Consent or approbation of each other, yet they seldom do except to prevent a scarcity — and then Hogs are the principal objects of it; the it frequently extends to several other kinds of Provisions, but when the King sees it necessary to prevent a scarcity by a Number of People being Collected in one district, such as the Arrival of a Ship or of a Fleet of Canoes when Numbers resort to see the strangers; after the first feasting is over he puts on a Rahooe till they shall return home or the Concourse of People shall lessen and the Visitors be distributed, otherwise they would distroy the whole stock and breed a Famine there — and at such times the Reefs are Rahooed to prevent the Shell & other fish from being distroyd, which would otherwise be the Case as they flock from all parts of the Island to view the strangers without bringing Provisions for their Own Use, generally giving to the Strangers all they bring with them, and trusting 10 the District they come to for food — which the owners are ashamed to refuse while they have any for themselves. When the People return homewards the Rahooe is taken off, that the Strangers may be suppld, who are nevertheless plentifully fed from the Neighbouring Districts where the Rahooe has not been put on.
The Rahooe on the reefs is signified by placing Bushes along the part Rahooed, with bits of white cloth tied to them, and after they appear there No person dare fish there on pain of forfeiting their Lands but they may fish with Nets hooks &c. in their Canoes by which Means they procure good Supplys, if the Beach is Rahooed they Must not lanch a Canoe off to fish, or any other purpose; but this never Happens but when the Kings Flag is passing.
Besides the Feast of the Jubilee, or Rahooe, they make a Feast on the Morai, at which none can be present but Raa or Sacred Men. This always Consists of one or more hogs and other Provisions, with plenty of Yava. These are Mostly held on Family Morais
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Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 196, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-068.html