ftations, and we were now allowed to go as near as we pleased. He, who feemed to be the chief prieft, fat at a fmall diftance, and spoke for a quarter of an hour, but with different tones and geftures, fo that he feemed to expoftulate with, or queftion the dead perfon, to whom he conftantly addreffed himself. He then chaunted a prayer, which lafted near half an hour, in a whining, melancholy tone, accompanied by two other priefts, and in which Potatou and fome others joined. In the course of this prayer fome more hair was plucked by the priest from the head of the corpfe, and put upon one of the bundles. After this the chief priest prayed alone, holding in his hand the feathers which came from Towha. When he had finifhed, he gave them to another, who prayed in like manner. Then all the tufts of feathers were laid upon the bundles of cloth, which clofed the ceremony at this place.

The corpfe was then carried up to the most confpicuous part of the morai, with the feathers, the two bundles of cloth, and the drums, the laft of which beat flowly. The feathers and bundles were laid against the pile of ftones, and the corple at the foot of them. The priests, having again feated themfelves round it, renewed their prayers, while fome of their attendants dug a hole about two feet deep, into which they threw the unhappy victim, and covered it over with earth and tones. While they were putting him into the grave, a boy fqueaked aloud, and Omai faid to me that it was the Eatooa. During this time a fire having been made, a dog was produced and killed, by twisting his neck and fuffocating him. The hair was finged off, and the entrails taken out and thrown into the fire, where they were left to

confume.

confume. The body of the dog, after being befmeared with blood, and dried over the fire, was, with the liver and heart, carried and laid down before the priests, who fat praying round the grave. They continued their ejaculations over the dog for fome time, while two men, at intervals, beat on two drums very loud, and a boy fcreamed as before in a loud fhrill voice, three different times. This, as we were told, was tò invite Eatooa to feaft on the banquet that they had prepared for him. As foon as the priefts had ended their prayers, the carcase of the dog, with what belonged to it, was laid on a scaffold, about fix feet high, that food close by, on which lay the remains of two other dogs, and of two pigs, which had lately been facrificed, and at this time emitted an intolerable ftench. This kept us at a greater diftance than would otherwife have been required of us. When the dog was put upon the fcaffold, the priests and attendants gave a kind of fhout, which clofed the ceremonies for the prefent. The day being now alfo clofed, we were conducted to a houfe belonging to Potatou, where we were entertained and lodged for the night. Some other religious rites were performed next day; but on this fubject we think we have faid enough to fatisfy our readers, perhaps to difguft them.

The unhappy vi&tim, offered to the object of their worship, upon this occafion, feemed to be a middle-aged man; and, as we were told, was a towtow; that is, one of the loweft clafs of the people. But, after all my enquiries, I could not learn that he had been pitched upon, on account of any particular crime, committed by him, meriting death. Having had an opportunity of examin

ing

ing the appearance of the body of the poor fufferer, now offered up, I could obferve that it was bloody about the head and face, and a good deal bruised upon the right temple; which marked the manner of his being killed. And we were told, that he had been privately knocked on the head with a ftone.

Whenever any one of the great chiefs thinks a human facrifice neceffary, on any particular emergency, he pitches upon the victim. Some of his

trufty fervants are then fent, who fall upon him fuddenly, and put him to death with a club, or by ftoning him. The king is next acquainted with it, whose presence, at the folemn rites that follow, is, as I was told, abfolutely neceffary; and, indeed, on the prefent occafion, we could obferve that Otoo bore a principal part.

It is much to be regretted, that a practice, fo horrid in its own nature, and fo deftructive of that inviolable right of felf-prefervation, which every one is born with, fhould be found ftill exifting. Though we should suppose that never more than one perfon is facrificed on any fingle occafion at Otaheite, it is more than probable that these occafions happen fo frequently, as to make a fhocking wafte of the human race; for I counted no less than forty-nine fkulls of former victims, lying before the morai, where we saw one more added to the number. And, as none of those fkulls had as yet fuffered any confiderable change from the weather, it may hence be inferred that no great length of time had elapfed fince at least this confiderable number of unhappy wretches had been offered upon this altar of blood.

Human facrifices, however, are not the only barbarous cuftom we find still prevailing amongst

this benevolent, humane people. For, befides cutting out the jaw-bones of their enemies, flain in battle, which they carry about as trophies, they in fome measure, offer their bodies as a facrifice to the Eatooa. Soon after a battle, in which they have been victors, they collect all the dead that have fallen into their hands, and bring them to the morai, where, with a great deal of ceremony, they dig a hole, and bury them all in it, as fo many offerings to the gods; but their ikulls are never after taken up.

Before we parted, we were asked, if the folemnity, at which we had been prefent, answered our expectations; what opinion we had of its efficacy; and whether we performed fuch acts of worship in our own country? During the celebration of the horrid ceremony, we had preferved a profound filence; but as foon as it was clofed, had made no fcruple in expreffing our fentiments very freely about it to Otoo, and thofe who attended him; of courfe, therefore, I could not conceal my deteftation of it, in a fubfequent converfation with Towha. Omai was made ufe of as our interpreter; and he entered into our arguments with fo much fpirit, that this chief feemed to be in great wrath, efpecially when he was told, that if he had put a man to death in England, as he had done here, his rank would not have protected him from being hanged for it. Upon this he exclaimed, macno! maeno! (vile! vile!) and would not hear another word. During this debate many of the natives were prefent, chiefly the attendants and fervants of Towha himself; and when Omai began to explain the punishment that would be inflicted in England upon the greatest man, if he killed the meaneft fervant,

they

they feemed to liften with great attention; and were, probably, of a different opinion from that of their mafter on this fubject.

On the 4th, a party of us dined afhore with Cmai, who gave excellent fare, confifting of fish, fowls, pork, and puddings. After dinner I attended Otoo, who had been one of the party, back to his houfe, where I found all his fervants very bufy, getting a quantity of provifions ready for me. Amongit other articles there was a large hog, which they killed in my prefence. There was alfo a large pudding, the whole procefs in making which I faw. It was composed of breadfruit, ripe plantains, taro, and palm or pandanus nuts, each rafped, fcraped, or beat up fine, and, baked by itfelf. A quantity of juice, preffed from cocoa-nut kernels, was put into a large tray, or wooden veffel. The other articles, hot from the oven, were depofited in this veffel, and a few hot ftones were alfo put in to make the contents fimmer. Three or four men made use of flicks to ftir the feveral ingredients, till they were incorporated one with another, and the juice of the cocoa-nut was turned to oil, fo that the whole mafs, at laft, became of the confiftency of a hafty-pudding. Some of thefe puddings are excellent; and few that we make in England equal them. Otoo's hog being baked, and the pudding, which I have defcribed, being made, they, together with two living hogs and a quanúty of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, were put into a canoe, and fent on board my hip, followed by myfelf and all the royal family.

In the evening of the 7th we played off fome fireworks before a great concourfe of people. Some were highly entertained with the exhibiVOL. VII.

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tion;