day after the battle, with much pomp and ceremony, and in the midst
of a great concourse of people, as a thanksgiving-offering to the
_Eatooa_, for the victory they had obtained; while the vanquished had
taken refuge in the mountains. There they remained a week or ten days,
till the fury of the victors was over, and a treaty set on foot, by
which it was agreed, that Otoo should be declared king of the whole
island, and the solemnity of investing him with the _maro_ was
performed at the same _morai_ with great pomp, in the presence of all
the principal men of the country.[7]

[Footnote 7: We must trespass a little on the reader's patience as
was formerly threatened. But on so curious, and indeed so exceedingly
important a subject as human sacrifices, it is allowable to claim the
serious attention of every intelligent being. Who can withhold anxiety
from an enquiry into the reality of the fact, as a fundamental part
of religion in every nation at some period of its history--or dare to
affect indifference as to the origin and meaning of so portentous and
horrible a rite? It will be our study to be as brief as possible in
conveying the information respecting both, which every man ought to
possess, who values correct opinions respecting the moral condition of
our nature. First, then, as to the universality of the practice.
This is of course to be ascertained from testimony. And perhaps on no
subject in the history of mankind, is there a more decided agreement
in the assertions of different witnesses. We shall run over the
various nations of the earth, of whom we have any thing like
satisfactory evidence. Here we avail ourselves of the labours of
several authors, as Dr Jenkin, De Paauw, Mr Bryant, Mr Parkhurst, Dr
Magee, and others. We commence with the Egyptians, of whom alone, we
believe, any doubt as to their being implicated in the practice has
been entertained. Thus Dr Forster, in his Observations on Cook's