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like pyramids, or rather obelisks; and one of these, which I gueffed to be at least fifty feet high, was very confpicuous from the fhip's anchoring ftation, and feemed to be at no great diftance up this valley. To have a nearer infpection of it, was the principal object of my walk. The moment we got to it, we faw that it ftood in a burying ground, or morai; the refemblance of which, in many respects, to thofe we were fo well acquainted with at other iflands in this ocean, could not but ftrike us; and we alfo foon found that the feveral parts that compofe it, were called by the fame names.

After we had examined, very carefully, every thing that was to be feen about the morai, we returned by a different route. At noon, I went on board to dinner, having procured, in the courfe of the day, nine tuns of water; and, by exchanges, chiefly for nails and pieces of iron, about feventy or eighty pigs, and a few fowls. Thefe people merited our beft commendations, never once attempting to cheat us, either afhore or along-fide the flips. Some of them, indeed, at firft, betrayed a thievifh difpofition; but they foon laid afide a conduct, which, we convinced them, they could not perfevere in with impunity.

Amongst the articles which they brought to barter this day, we could not help taking notice of a particular fort of cloak and cap. The firft are nearly of the fize and fhape of the fhort cloaks worn by the women in England. The ground of them is a net-work, upon which the moft beautiful red and yellow feathers are so closely fixed, that the furface might be compared to the thickeft and richest velvet, which they resemble, both as to the feel and the gloffy appearance.

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The cap is made almoft exactly like a helmet with the middle part, or creft, fometimes of a hand's breadth; and it fits very close upon the head, having notches to admit the ears. It is a frame of twigs and ofiers, covered with a network, into which are wrought feathers, in the fame manner as upon the cloaks, though rather clofer, and lefs diverfified. Thefe, probably, complete the dress, with the cloaks; for the natives, fometimes, appeared in both together.

We were at a lofs to guess whence they could get fuch a quantity of thefe beautiful feathers; but were foon informed; for they afterwards brought great numbers of ikins of finall red birds for fale.

Next day one of our vifiters, who offered fome fifh-hooks for fale,. was obferved to have a very final parcel tied to the ftring of one of them, which he feparated with great care, and referved for himself, when he parted with the hook. Being afked what it was, he pointed to his belly. It ftruck us that it might be human fleth. The queftion being put to him, he answered that the fleth was part of a man. Another of his countrymen, who ftood by him, was then afked, whether it was their cuftom to eat thofe killed in battle; and he immediately answered in the affirmative.

After leaving Atooi, as this island was named, we proceeded to Onecheow, on the coaft of which we anchored.

Six or seven canoes had come off to us, before we anchored, bringing fome fmall pigs and potatoes, and a good many yams and mats. The people in them refembled thofe of Atooi; and feemto be equally well acquainted with the ufe of

iron, which they asked for alfo by the names of hamaite and toe; parting readily with all their commodities for pieces of this precious metal.

Thefe vifiters furnished us with an opportunity of agitating again the curious enquiry, whether they were cannibals. One of the islanders, who wanted to get in at the gun-room port, was refufed; and at the fame time afked whether, if he fhould come in, we would kill and eat him? This gave a proper opening to retort the queftion as to this practice; and a perfon behind the other, in the canoe, who paid great attention to what was paffing, immediately anfwered, that if we were killed on fhore, they would certainly eat us. But that their eating us would be the confequence of our being at enmity with them. I cannot fee the leaft reafon to hefitate in pronouncing it to be certain, that the horrid banquet of human flesh is as much relifhed here, amidst plenty, as it is in New Zealand.

On the 30th, I fent Mr. Gore afhore, with a guard of marines, and a party to trade with the natives for refreshments. The weather foon became very unpropitious; and the fea ran fo high that we had no manner of communication with our party on fhore; and even the natives themfelves durft not venture out to the fhips in their canoes. In the evening of next day, I fent the mafter in a boat up to the fouth-eaft head, or point of the island, to try if he could land under it. He returned with a favourable report; but it was too late, now, to fend for our party till the next morning; and thus they had another night to improve their intercourfe with the natives.

Encouraged by the mafter's report, I went myfelf with the pinnace and launch up to the

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point, to bring the party on board; taking with me a ram-goat and two ewes, a boar and fow pig of the English breed; and the feeds of melons, pumpkins, and onions; being very defirous of benefiting these poor people, by furnishing them with fome additional articles of food. I found my party already there, with fome of the natives in company. To one of them, whom Mr. Gore had obferved affuming fome command, I gave the goats, pigs, and feeds.

The ground, through which I paffed, was in a ftate of nature, very ftony, and the foil feemed poor. It was, however, covered with fhrubs and plants, fome of which perfumed the air with a more delicious fragrancy, than I had met with at any other of the islands in this ocean. The habitations of the natives were thinly fcattered about; and it was fuppofed that there could not be more than five hundred people upon the island. Our people had an opportunity of obferving the method of living amongst the natives, and it appeared to be decent and cleanly. They did not, however, fee any inftance of the men and women eating together; and the latter feemed generally affociated in companies by themfelves. It was found that they burnt here the oily nuts of the dooe dooe for lights in the night, as at Otaheite; and that they baked their hogs in ovens. A particular veneration feemed to be paid here to owls, which they have very tame; and it was observed to be a pretty general practice amongst them to pull out one of their teeth; for which odd custom, when afked the reafon, the only anfwer that could be got was, that it was teeha.

On Monday the 2d of February we ftood away he northward, in profecution of our voyage.

Our fhip procured, from thefe iflands, provifions fufficient for three weeks at leaft; and Captain Clerke, more fortunate, obtained, of their vegetable productions, a supply that lasted his people upwards of two months.

It is worthy of obfervation, that the islands in the Pacific Ocean, which our late voyages have added to the geography of the globe, have been generally found lying in groups, or clufters; the fingle intermediate iflands, as yet difcovered, being few in proportion to the others; though, probably, there are many more of them ftill unknown, which serve as steps between the several clufters. Of what number this newly-discovered archipelago confifts, must be left for future inveftigation. We faw five of them, whose names, as given to us by the natives, are Wohaoo, Atooi, Onecheow, Oreehoua, and Tahoora.

The temperature of the climate may be eafily gueffed from the fituation. Were we to judge of it from our experience, it might be faid to be very variable; notwithstanding it was now the feafon of the year, when the weather is supposed to be most fettled, the fun being at his greatest annual diftance. The heat was, at this time, very moderate; and few of thofe inconveniences, which many of thofe tropical countries are fubject to, either from heat or moisture, feem to be experienced here.

Befides the vegetable articles, bought by us as refreshments, amongst which were at least five or fix varieties of plantains, the island produces bread-fruit; though it seems to be scarce, as we faw only one tree, which was large, and had fome fruit upon it.

VOL. VII.

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