OF THE TONGA PEOPLE.

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forbidden to quarrel or fight upon consecratedground, so fighting in such a place would besaid to be taboo, and those that fought wouldbe said also to be taboo ; and a man who is thustaboo would have to make some sacrifice to thegods as an atonement for the sacrilege, as in-stanced in Palavali’s case. (See Vol. I. p. 2l6.)If a man be guilty of theft, or any crime what-soever, he is said to have broken the taboo ; andas all such persons are particularly supposedliable to be bitten by sharks, an awkward modeof discovering a thief is founded upon this no-tion, by making all the suspected persons gointo the water, where sharks frequent, and hewho is bitten or devoured is looked upon asthe guilty person. If any one touches a supe-rior chief, or superior relation, or any thingimmediately belonging to him, he taboos him-self ; but this is not supposed to produce anybad consequence, unless he feeds himself withhis own hands, without first removing thistaboo, which is to be done by performing theceremony of mbS-mbe, directly to be explained.If a person touches the body of a dead chief,or any thing personally belonging to him, hebecomes taboo, and time alone can relieve him.(See note, Vol. I. p. 141.) Certain kinds offood, as turtle, and a certain species of fish,from something in their nature, are said to be