a-mariterangiisagainmyauthority；Ifeelitdiminishesthecreditofthefact，buthowitbuildsuptheimageofthisinveterateghost-seer！HebelongstothemiserablypoorislandofTaenga，yethisfather’shousewasalwayswellsupplied。AsRuagrewuphewascalledatlasttogoa-fishingwiththisfortunateparent。Theyrowedthelagoonatdusk，toanunlikelyplace，andthelaydowninthestern，andthefatherbeganvainlytocasthislineoverthebows。ItistobesupposedthatRuaslept；andwhenheawoketherewasthefigureofanotherbesidehisfather，andhisfatherwaspullinginthefishhandoverhand。’Whoisthatman，father?’Ruaasked。’Itisnoneofyourbusiness，’saidthefather；andRuasupposedthestrangerhadswumofftothemfromshore。Nightafternighttheyfaredintothelagoon，oftentothemostunlikelyplaces；nightafternightthestrangerwouldsuddenlybeseenonboard，andassuddenlybemissed；andmorningaftermorningthecanoereturnedladenwithfish。’Myfatherisaveryluckyman，’thoughtRua。Atlast，onefineday，therecamefirstoneboatpartyandthenanother，whomustbeentertained；fatherandsonputofflaterthanusualintothelagoon；andbeforethecanoewaslandeditwasfouro’clock，andthemorningstarwascloseonthehorizon。Thenthestrangerappearedseizedwithsomedistress；turnedabout，showingforthefirsttimehisface，whichwasthatofonelongdead，withshiningeyes；staredintotheeast，setthetipsofhisfingerstohismouthlikeonea-cold，utteredastrange，shudderingsoundbetweenawhistleandamoan-athingtofreezetheblood；and，theday-starjustrisingfromthesea，hesuddenlywasnot。ThenRuaunderstoodwhyhisfatherprospered，whyhisfishesrottedearlyintheday，andwhysomewerealwayscarriedtothecemeteryandlaiduponthegraves。Myinformantisamannotcertainlyaversetosuperstition，buthekeepshishead，andtakesacertainsuperiorinterest，whichImaybeallowedtocallscientific。ThelastpointremindinghimofsomeparallelpracticeinTahiti，heaskedRuaifthefishwereleft，orcarriedhomeagainafteraformaldedication。ItappearsoldMariterangipractisedbothmethods；sometimestreatinghisshadowypartnertoamereoblation，sometimeshonestlyleavinghisfishtorotuponthegrave。
ItisplainwehaveinEuropestoriesofasimilarcomplexion；andthePolynesianVARUAINOorAITUOLEVAOisclearlythenearkinsmanoftheTransylvanianvampire。Hereisataleinwhichthekinshipappearsbroadlymarked。OntheatollofPenrhyn，thenstillpartlysavage，acertainchiefwaslongthesalutaryterrorofthenatives。Hedied，hewasburied；andhislateneighbourshadscarcetastedthedelightsoflicenceerehisghostappearedaboutthevillage。Fearseizeduponall；acouncilwasheldofthechiefmenandsorcerers；andwiththeapprovaloftheRarotonganmissionary，whowasasfrightenedastherest，andinthepresenceofseveralwhites-myfriendMr。BenHirdbeingone-thegravewasopened，deepeneduntilwatercame，andthebodyre-interredfacedown。ThestillrecentstakingofsuicidesinEnglandandthedecapitationofvampiresintheeastofEuropeformcloseparallels。
SoinSamoaonlythespiritsoftheunburiedawakefear。Duringthelatewarmanyfellinthebush；theirbodies，sometimesheadless，werebroughtbackbynativepastorsandinterred；butthisIknownotwhywasinsufficient，andthespiritstilllingeredonthetheatreofdeath。Whenpeacereturnedasingularscenewasenactedinmanyplaces，andchieflyroundthehighgorgesofLotoanuu，wherethestrugglewaslongcentredandthelosshadbeensevere。Kinswomenofthedeadcamecarryingamatorsheetandguidedbysurvivorsofthefight。Theplaceofdeathwasearnestlysoughtout；thesheetwasspreadupontheground；andthewomen，movedwithpiousanxiety，sataboutandwatchedit。Ifanylivingthingalighteditwastwicebrushedaway；uponthethirdcomingitwasknowntobethespiritofthedead，wasfoldedin，carriedhomeandburiedbesidethebody；andtheaiturested。Theritewaspractisedbeyonddoubtinsimplepiety；thereposeofthesoulwasitsobject：itsmotive，reverentaffection。Thepresentkingdisownsindeedallknowledgeofadangerousaitu；hedeclaresthesoulsoftheunburiedwereonlywanderersinlimbo，lackinganentrancetothepropercountryofthedead，unhappy，nowisehurtful。Andthisseverelyclassicopiniondoubtlessrepresentstheviewsoftheenlightened。ButtheflightofmyLafaelemarksthegrosserterrorsoftheignorant。
Thisbeliefintheexorcisingefficacyoffuneralritesperhapsexplainsafact，otherwiseamazing，thatnoPolynesianseemsatalltoshareourEuropeanhorrorofhumanbonesandmummies。Ofthefirsttheymadetheircherishedornaments；theypreservedtheminhousesorinmortuarycaves；andthewatchersofroyalsepulchresdweltwiththeirchildrenamongthebonesofgenerations。Themummy，eveninthemaking，wasaslittlefeared。IntheMarquesas，ontheextremecoast，itwasmadebythehouseholdwithcontinualunctionandexposuretothesun；intheCarolines，uponthefarthestwest，itisstillcuredinthesmokeofthefamilyhearth。
Head-hunting，besides，stilllivesaroundmydoorstepinSamoa。