Notwithstanding the irreparable lofs we fuffered from the fudden refentment and violence of these people, yet, in justice to their general conduct, it must be acknowledged that they are of the most mild and affectionate difpofition; equally remote from the extreme levity and fickleness of the Otaheiteans, and the diftant gravity and referve of the inhabitants of the Friendly Islands. They appear to live in the utmost harmony and friendship with one another. The women, who had children, were remarkable for their tender and conftant attention to them; and the men would often lend their affiftance in those domeftic offices, with a willingness that does credit to their feelings.

The inhabitants of these iflands differ from thofe of the Friendly Iiles, in fuffering, almost univerfally, their beards to grow. There were indeed a few, amongst whom was the old king, that cut it off entirely, and others that wore it only upon the upper lip. The fame variety, in the manner of wearing the hair, is alfo observable here, as among the other islanders of the South Sea; befides which, they have a fathion, as far as we know, peculiar to themselves. They cut it close on each fide of the head down to the ears.

Both fexes wear necklaces made of ftrings of small variegated shells; and an ornament, in the form of the handle of a cup, about two inches long, and half an inch broad, made of wood, ftone, or ivory, finely poilthed, which is hung about the neck by fine threads of twisted hair, doubled fometimes a hundred fold. Inftead of this ornament, fome of them wear on their breaft Bb 3

a fmall

a fmall human figure made of bone, fufpended in the fame manner.

The cuftom of tatooing the body, they have in common with the reft of the natives of the South Sea Islands; but it is only at New Zealand and the Sandwich Islands, that they tatoo the face. They have a fingular cuftom amongit them, the meaning of which we could never learn that of tatooing the tip of the tongues of the females.

The dress of the men generally consists only of a piece of thick cloth, called the maro, about ten or twelve inches broad, which they pass between the legs, and tie round the waift. This is the common drefs of all ranks of people. Their mats, fome of which are beautifully manufactured, are of various fizes, but moftly about five feet long and four broad. These they throw over their fhoulders, and bring forward before; but they are feldom used, except in time of war, for which purpose they seem better adapted than for ordinary ufe, being of a thick and cumbersome texture, and capable of breaking the blow of a ftone, or any blunt weapon.

The common drefs of the women bears a close refemblance to that of the men. They wrap round the waift a piece of cloth that reaches half way down the thighs, and fometimes, in the cool of the evening, they appeared with loofe pieces of fine cloth thrown over their fhoulders, like the women of Otaheite. The pau is another drefs very frequently worn by the younger part of the fex. It is made of the thinneft and finest fort of cloth, wrapt feveral times round the waist, and defcending to the leg, fo as to have the ap rance of a full fhort petticoat.

The

The way of spending their time appears to be very fimple, and to admit of little variety. They rife with the fun, and, after enjoying the cool of the evening, retire to reft a few hours after funfet. The making of canoes and mats forms the Occupations of the earees; the women are employed in manufacturing cloth, and the towtows are principally engaged in the plantations and fishing.

Their mufic is of a rude kind, having neither flutes nor reeds, nor inftruments of any other fort that we faw, except drums of various fizes. But their fongs, which they fung in parts, and accompany with a gentle motion of the arms, in the fame manner as the Friendly Islanders, had a ve ry pleasing effect.

The people of thefe iflands are manifeftly divided into three claffes. The first are the earees, or chiefs, of each diftrict; one of whom is fuperior to the reft, and is called at Owhyhee eareetaboo, and earee-moee. By the first of these words they express his abfolute authority; and and by the latter, all are obliged to proftrate themfelves (or put themselves to fleep, as the word fignifies) in his prefence. The fecond clafs are those who appear to enjoy a right of property, without authority.. The third are the towtows, or fervants, who have neither rank nor property.

The chiefs exercife their power over one an other in the moft haughty and oppreffive manner. Of this I fhall give two inftances. A chief of the lower order had behaved with great civility to one of our officers; and in return, I carried him on board, and introduced him to Captain Cook, who invited him to dine with us. While we were at table, Pareea, who was chief of a fu

perior order, entered, whofe face but too plainly manifested his indignation at seeing our gueft in fo honourable a fituation. He immediately feized him by the hair of the head, and was proceeding to drag him out of the cabin, when the captain interfered; and, after a deal of altercation, all the indulgence we could obtain, without coming to a quarrel with Pareea, was, that our gueft fhould be fuffered to remain, being feated upon the floor, whilft Pareea filled his place at the table. At another time, when Terreeoboo firft came on board the Refolution, Maiha-maiha, who attended him, finding Pareea on deck, turned him out of the fhip in the most ignominious

manner.

The religion of thefe people refembles, in moft of its principal features, that of the Society and Friendly Iflands. Their morais, their whattas, their idols, their facrifices, and their facred fongs, all of which they have in common with each other, are convincing proofs, that their religious notions are derived from the fame fource.

It has been mentioned, that the title of Orona, with all its honours, was given to Captain Cook; and it is alfo certain that they regarded us, generally, as a race of people fuperior to themselves; and used often to fay, that the great Eatooa dwelled in our country.

Human facrifices are more frequent here, according to the account of the natives themfelves, than in any other islands we vifited. Thefe horrid rites are not only had recourse to upon the commencement of war, and preceding great battles, and other fignal enterprifes; but the death of any confiderable chief calls for a facrifice of e or more towtows, according to his rank;

and

we were told that men were defined to fuffer on the death of Terreeoboo.

To this class of their cuftoms may also be referred that of knocking out their fore-teeth, as a propitiatory facrifice to the Eatooa, to avert any danger or mifchief to which they might be exposed.

On the 15th of March, at feven in the morning, we weighed anchor, and paffing to the north of Tahoora, ftood on to the fouth-weft. On the 23d, the wind, which had been moderate for fome time, freshened and increased to a ftrong gale, which split fome of our old fails, and made the running rigging very frequently give way. This gale lafted twelve hours; it then became more moderate, and continued fo till the 25th at noon,when we entirely loft it, and had only a very light air.

On the 30th, the winds and unfettled ftate of the weather induced Captain Clerke to alter his plan, and at fix in the evening, we began to steer north-weft, which, we continued till the 6th of April, when we loft the trade wind.

The ftanding orders, eftablifhed by Captain Cook, of airing the bedding, placing fires between decks, washing them with vinegar, and smoking them with gunpowder, were obferved without any intermiflion. For fome time paft, even the operation of mending the failors old jackets had rifen into a duty both of difficulty and importance. It may be neceffary to inform those who are unacquainted with the habits of feamen, that they are fo accustomed in ships of war to be directed in the care of themselves by their officers, that they lose the very idea of fore-fight, and contract the thoughtleffness of infants. I am fure that if our people had been left to their own dif

cretion