The island next in size, and nearest in situation, to Owhyhee, is MOWEE;

which lies at the distance of eight leagues north north-west from the

former, and is 140 geographical miles in circumference. A low isthmus

divides it into two circular peninsulas, of which that to the east is

called Whamadooa, and is double the size of the western peninsula,

called Owhyrookoo. The mountains in both rise to an exceeding great

height, having been seen by us at the distance of upward of thirty

leagues. The northern shores, like those of Owhyhee, afford no

soundings; and the country presents the same appearance of verdure and

fertility. To the south-east, between this and the adjacent isles, we

had regular depths, with a hundred and fifty fathoms, with a sandy

bottom. From the west point, which is low, runs a shoal, stretching out

toward Ranai, to a considerable distance; and to the southward of this

is a fine spacious bay, with a sandy beach, shaded with cocoa-nut trees.

It is probable that good anchorage might be found here, with shelter

from the prevailing winds, and that the beach affords a convenient place

for landing. The country behind presents a most romantic appearance. The

hills rise almost perpendicularly, in a great variety of peaked forms;

and their steep sides, and the deep chasms between them, are covered

with trees, amongst which those of the bread-fruit were observed

particularly to abound. The tops of these hills are entirely bare, and

of a reddish brown colour. We were informed by the natives, that there

is an harbour to the southward of the east point, which they affirmed to

be superior to that of Karakakooa; and we were also told, that, on the

north-west side, there was another harbour, called Keepoo-keepoo.

Tahoorowa is a small island lying off the south-west part of Mowee, from

which it is distant three leagues. This island is destitute of wood, and

the soil seems to be sandy and barren. Between Tahowrowa and Mowee, lies

the small uninhabited island Morrotinnee.

Morotoi is only two leagues and a half from Mowee to the west

north-west. The south-western coast, which was the only part near which

we approached, is very low; but the land rises backward to a

considerable height; and, at the distance from which we saw it, appeared

to be entirely without wood. Its produce, we were told, consists chiefly

of yams. It may, probably, have fresh water; and, on the south and west

sides, the coast forms several bays, that promise good shelter from the

trade winds.

Ranai is about three leagues distant from Mowee and Morotoi, and lies to

the south-west of the passage between these islands. The country to the

south is high and craggy; but the other parts of the island had a better

aspect, and appeared to be well inhabited. We were told that it produces

very few plantains and bread-fruit trees; but that it abounds in roots,

such as yams, sweet potatoes, and tarrow.

Woahoo lies to the north-west of Morotoi, at the distance of about seven

leagues. As far as we could judge, from the appearance of the north-east

and north-west parts (for we saw nothing of the southern side), it is by

far the finest island of the whole group. Nothing can exceed the verdure

of the hills, the variety of wood and lawn, and rich cultivated valleys,

which the whole face of the country displayed. Having already given a

description of the bay, formed by the north and west extremities, in

which we came to anchor, I have only to observe, that in the bight of

the bay, to the south of the anchoring-place, we found rocky foul

ground, two miles from the shore. Should the ground tackling of a ship

be weak, and the wind blow strong from the north, to which quarter the

road is entirely open, this circumstance might be attended with some

danger; but with good cables there would be little risk, as the ground

from the anchoring-place, which is opposite to the valley through which

the river runs to the north point, is a fine sand.

Atooi lies to the north-west of Woahoo, and is distant from it about

twenty-five leagues. The face of the country to the north-east and

north-west is broken and ragged; but to the south it is more even; the

hills rise with a gentle slope from the sea side, and, at some distance

back, are covered with wood. Its productions are the same with those of

the other islands; but the inhabitants far surpass all the neighbouring

islanders in the management of their plantations. In the low grounds,

adjoining to the bay where we lay at anchor, these plantations were

divided by deep and regular ditches; the fences were made with a

neatness approaching to elegance, and the roads through them were thrown

up and finished, in a manner that would have done credit to any European

engineer.

Oneeheow lies five leagues to the westward of Atooi. The eastern coast

is high, and rises abruptly from the sea, but the rest of the island

consists of low ground; excepting a round bluff head on the south-east

point. It produces abundance of yams, and of the sweet root called

_Tee_; but we got from it no other sort of provisions.

Oreehoua and Tahoora are two small islands in the neighbourhood of

Oneeheow. The former is a single high hummock, joined by a reef of coral

rocks, to the northern extremity of Oneeheow. The latter lies to the

south-east, and is uninhabited.

The climate of the Sandwich Islands differs very little from that of the

West India Islands, which lie in the same latitude. Upon the whole,

perhaps, it may be rather more temperate. The thermometer on shore in

Karakakooa Bay never rose higher than 88°, and that but one day; its

mean height, at noon, was 83°. In Wymoa Bay, its mean height at noon was

76°, and when out at sea, 75°. The mean height of the thermometer at

noon, in Jamaica, is about 86°, at sea 80°.

Whether they be subject to the same violent winds and hurricanes, we

could not discover, as we were not there in any of the stormy months.

However, as the natives gave us no positive testimony of the fact, and

no traces of their effects were any where visible, it is probable that,

in this respect, they resemble the Society and Friendly Islands, which

are in a great measure free from these dreadful visitations.

During the four winter months that we remained amongst these islands,

there was more rain, especially in the interior parts, than usually fall

during the dry season, in the islands of the West Indies. We generally

saw clouds collecting round the tops of the hills, and producing rain to

leeward; but after they are separated from the land by the wind, they

disperse, and are lost, and others succeed in their place. This happened

daily at Owhyhee: the mountainous parts being generally enveloped in a

cloud; successive showers falling in the inland country; with fine

weather, and a clear sky at the sea shore.

The winds in general were, from east south-east to north-east; though

this sometimes varied a few points each way to the north and south; but

these were light, and of short duration. In the harbour of Karakakooa,

we had a constant land and sea breeze every day and night.

The currents seemed very uncertain, sometimes setting to windward, and

at other times to leeward, without any regularity. They did not appear

to be governed by the winds, nor any other cause that I can assign: they

frequently set to windward against a fresh breeze.

The tides are very regular, flowing and ebbing six hours each. The flood

comes from the eastward; and it is high water at the full and change of

the moon, forty-five minutes past three, apparent time. Their greatest

rise is two feet seven inches: and we always observed the water to be

four inches higher when the moon was above the horizon than when it was

below.

The quadrupeds in these, as in all the other islands that have been

discovered in the South Sea, are confined to three sorts, dogs, hogs,

and rats. The dogs are of the same species with those of Otaheite,

having short crooked legs, long backs, and pricked ears. I did not

observe any variety in them, except in their skins; some having long and

rough hair, and others being quite smooth. They are about the size of a

common turnspit; exceedingly sluggish in their nature; though perhaps

this may be more owing to the manner in which they are treated, than to

any natural disposition in them. They are, in general, fed and left to

herd with the hogs; and I do not recollect one instance in which a dog

was made a companion, in the manner we do in Europe. Indeed, the custom

of eating them is an insuperable bar to their admission into society;

and, as there are neither beasts of prey in the island, nor objects of

chace, it is probable, that the social qualities of the dog, its

fidelity, attachment, and sagacity, will remain unknown to the natives.

The number of dogs in these islands did not appear to be nearly equal,

in proportion, to those in Otaheite. But, on the other hand, they abound

much more in hogs; and the breed is of a larger and weightier kind. The

supply of provisions of this kind, which we got from them, was really

astonishing. We were near four months, either cruising off the coast, or

in harbour at Owhyhee. During all this time, a large allowance of fresh

pork was constantly served to both crews; so that our consumption was

computed at about sixty puncheons of five hundred weight each. Besides

this, and the incredible waste which, in the midst of such plenty, was

not to be guarded against, sixty puncheons more were salted for sea

store. The greatest part of this supply was drawn from the island of

Owhyhee alone, and yet we could not perceive that it was at all drained,

or even that the abundance had any way decreased.

The birds of these islands are as beautiful as any we have seen during

the voyage, and are numerous, though not various. There are four, which

seem to belong to the _trochili_, or honeysuckers of Linnæus; one of

which is something larger than a bullfinch; its colour is a fine glossy

black, the rump-vent and thighs a deep yellow. It is called by the

natives _hoohoo_. Another is of an exceeding bright scarlet colour; the

wings black, and edged with white, and the tail black; its native name

is _eeeeve_. A third, which seems to be either a young bird, or a

variety of the foregoing, is variegated with red, brown, and yellow. The

fourth is entirely green, with a tinge of yellow, and is called

_akaiearooa_. There is a species of thrush, with a grey breast; and a

small bird of the flycatcher kind; a rail, with very short wings and no

tail, which on that account, we named _rallus ecaudotus_. Ravens are

found here, but they are very scarce; their colour is dark brown,

inclining to black; and their note is different from the European. Here

are two small birds, both of one _genus_, that are very common; one is

red, and generally seen about the cocoa-nut trees, particularly when

they are in flower, from whence it seems to derive great part of its

subsistence; the other is green; the tongues of both are long and

ciliated, or fringed at the tip. A bird with a yellow head, which, from

the structure of its beak, we called a perroquet, is likewise very

common. It, however, by no means belongs to that tribe, but greatly

resembles the _lexia flavicans_, or yellowish cross-bill of Linnæus.

Here are also owls, plovers of two sorts, one very like the whistling

plover of Europe; a large white pigeon; a bird with a long tail, whose

colour is black, the vent and feathers under the wing (which is much

longer than is usually seen in the generality of birds, except the birds

of paradise) are yellow; and the common water or darker hen.

Their vegetable productions are nearly the same with the rest of the

South Sea islands. I have before mentioned, that the _tarrow_ root is

much superior to any we had before tasted, and that we attributed this

excellence to the dry method of cultivating it. The bread-fruit trees

thrive here, not in such abundance, but produce double the quantity of

fruit, they do on the rich plains of Otaheite. The trees are nearly of

the same height, but the branches begin to strike out from the trunk

much lower, and with greater luxuriance. Their sugar-canes are also of a

very unusual size. One of them was brought to us at Atooi, measuring

eleven inches and a quarter in circumference, and having fourteen feet

eatable.

At Oneeheow, they brought us several large roots of a brown colour,

shaped like a yam, and from six to ten pounds in weight. The juice,

which it yields in great abundance, is very sweet, and of a pleasant

taste, and was found to be an excellent substitute for sugar. The

natives are very fond of it, and use it as an article of their common

diet; and our people also found it very palatable and wholesome. We

could not learn to what species of plant it belonged, having never been

able to procure the leaves; but it was supposed by our botanists to be

the root of some kind of fern.

Agreeably to the practice of Captain Cook, I shall subjoin an abstract

of the astronomical observations which were made at the observatory in

Karakakooa Bay, for determining its latitude and longitude, and for

finding the rate and error of the time-keeper. To these are subjoined

the mean variation of the compass, the dip of the magnetic needle, and a

table of the latitude and longitude of the Sandwich Islands.

The latitude of the observatory,

deduced from meridian zenith

distances of the sun, eleven

stars to the south, and four

stars to the north of the zenith 19° 28ʹ 0ʺ north.

The longitude of the observatory,

deduced from 253 sets of

lunar observations; each set

consisting of six observed distances

of the sun from the moon, or stars;

fourteen of the above sets were only

taken at the observatory, 105 sets

being taken whilst cruizing off

Owhyhee; and 134 sets, when

at Atooi and Oneeheow; all

these being reduced to the observatory,

by means of the time-keeper 204° 0ʹ 0ʺ east.

The longitude of the observatory,

by the time-keeper, on the

19th January, 1779, according

to its rate, as found at

Greenwich 214° 7ʹ 15ʺ east.

The longitude of the observatory,

by the time-keeper, on

the 19th January, 1779, according

to its rate, corrected

at different places, and last at

Samganoodha Harbour, in

Oonalaschka 203° 37ʹ 22ʺ east.

The daily rate of the time-keeper

losing on mean time,

was 9ʺ, 6; and on the 2d

February, 1779, it was 14^h

41ʹ 1ʺ slow for mean time.

The variation of the compass, by

azimuths observed on shore,

with four different compasses 8° 6ʹ 0ʺ east.

The variation of the compass, by

azimuths, observed on board

the Resolution, with four different

compasses 7° 32ʹ 0ʺ east.

Dip of the north } Balanced needle 40° 22ʹ 30ʺ

pole of the magnetic } Unbalanced }

needle on } or plain } 40° 41ʹ 15ʺ

shore, with } needle }

Dip of the north }

pole of the magnetic } Balanced needle 41° 50ʹ 0ʺ

needle on } Unbalanced }

board, with } needle } 40° 30ʹ 45ʺ

_A Table of the Latitude and Longitude of the Sandwich Islands._

Latitude. Longitude.

{The North point 20° 17ʹ 204° 2ʹ

{South point 18° 54ʹ 204° 15ʹ

Owhyhee {East point 19° 34ʹ 205° 6ʹ

{Karakakooa Bay 19° 28ʹ 204° 0ʹ

{East point 20° 50ʹ 204° 4ʹ

Mowee {South point 20° 34ʹ 203° 48ʹ

{West point 20° 54ʹ 203° 24ʹ

Morokinnee 20° 39ʹ 203° 33ʹ

Tahoorowa 20° 38ʹ 203° 27ʹ

Ranai. South point 20° 46ʹ 203° 8ʹ

Morotoi. West point 21° 10ʹ 202° 46ʹ

Woahoo. Anchoring-place 21° 43ʹ 202° 9ʹ

Atooi. Wymoa Bay 21° 57ʹ 200° 20ʹ

Oneeheow. Anchoring-place 21° 50ʹ 199° 45ʹ

Oreehoua 22° 2ʹ 199° 52ʹ

Tahoora 21° 43ʹ 199° 36ʹ

CHAP. VII.

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS CONTINUED.—OF THE INHABITANTS.—

THEIR ORIGIN.—PERSONS.—PERNICIOUS EFFECTS OF THE AVA.—NUMBERS.—

DISPOSITION AND MANNERS.—REASONS FOR SUPPOSING THEM NOT CANNIBALS.—

DRESS AND ORNAMENTS.—VILLAGES AND HOUSES.—FOOD.—OCCUPATIONS AND

AMUSEMENTS.—ADDICTED TO GAMING.—THEIR EXTRAORDINARY DEXTERITY IN

SWIMMING.—ARTS AND MANUFACTURES.—CURIOUS SPECIMENS OF THEIR

SCULPTURE.—KIPPAREE, OR METHOD OF PAINTING CLOTH.—MATS.—

FISHING-HOOKS.—CORDAGE.—SALT-PANS.—WARLIKE INSTRUMENTS.

The inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands are undoubtedly of the same race

with those of New Zealand, the Society and Friendly Islands, Easter

Island, and the Marquesas; a race that possesses, without any

intermixture, all the known lands between the latitudes of 47° south,

and 20° north, and between the longitudes of 184° and 260 east. This

fact, which, extraordinary as it is, might be thought sufficiently

proved by the striking similarity of their manners and customs, and the

general resemblance of their persons, is established, beyond all

controversy, by the absolute identity of their language.

From what continent they originally emigrated, and by what steps they

have spread through so vast a space, those who are curious in

disquisitions of this nature, may perhaps not find it very difficult to

conjecture. It has been already observed, that they bear strong marks of

affinity to some of the Indian tribes, that inhabit the Ladrones and

Caroline Islands; and the same affinity may again be traced amongst the

Battas and the Malays. When these events happened, is not so easy to

ascertain; it was probably not very lately, as they are extremely

populous, and have no tradition of their own origin, but what is

perfectly fabulous; whilst, on the other hand, the unadulterated state

of their general language, and the simplicity which still prevails in

their customs and manners, seem to indicate, that it could not have been

at any very distant period.

The natives of these islands are, in general, above the middle size, and

well made; they walk very gracefully, run nimbly, and are capable of

bearing great fatigue; though, upon the whole, the men are somewhat

inferior, in point of strength and activity, to the Friendly Islanders,

and the women less delicately limbed than those of Otaheite. Their

complexion is rather darker than that of the Otaheiteans, and they are

not altogether so handsome a people. However, many of both sexes had

fine open countenances; and the women, in particular, had good eyes and

teeth, and a sweetness and sensibility of look, which rendered them very

engaging. Their hair is of a brownish black, and neither uniformly

straight, like that of the Indians of America, nor uniformly curling, as

amongst the African negroes, but varying, in this respect, like the hair

of Europeans. One striking peculiarity, in the features of every part of

this great nation, I do not remember to have seen any where mentioned;

which is, that, even in the handsomest faces, there is always a fulness

of the nostril, without any flatness or spreading of the nose, that

distinguishes them from Europeans. It is not improbable that this may be

the effect of their usual mode of salutation, which is performed by

pressing the ends of their noses together.

The same superiority that is observable in the persons of the _Erees_,

through all the other islands, is found also here. Those whom we saw

were, without exception, perfectly well formed; whereas the lower sort,

besides their general inferiority, are subject to all the variety of

make and figure that is seen in the populace of other countries.

Instances of deformity are more frequent here, than in any of the other

islands. Whilst we were cruising off Owhyhee, two dwarfs came on board,

one an old man, four feet two inches high, but exactly proportioned, and

the other a woman, nearly of the same height. We afterward saw three

natives, who were hump-backed, and a young man, born without hands or

feet. Squinting is also very common amongst them; and a man, who, they

said, had been born blind, was brought to us to be cured. Besides these

particular imperfections, they are, in general, very subject to boils

and ulcers, which we attributed to the great quantity of salt they eat

with their flesh and fish. The _Erees_ are very free from these

complaints; but many of them suffer still more dreadful effects from the

immoderate use of the _ava_. Those who were the most affected by it, had

their bodies covered with a white scurf, their eyes red and inflamed,

their limbs emaciated, the whole frame trembling and paralytic,

accompanied with a disability to raise the head. Though this drug does

not appear universally to shorten life, as was evident from the cases of

Terreeoboo, Kaoo, and some other chiefs, who were very old men; yet it

invariably brings on an early and decrepid old age. It is fortunate,

that the use of it is made one of the peculiar privileges of the chiefs.

The young son of Terreeoboo, who was about twelve years old, used to

boast of his being admitted to drink ava, and showed us, with great

triumph, a small spot in his side that was growing scaly.

There is something very singular in the history of this pernicious drug.

When Captain Cook first visited the Society Islands, it was very little

known among them. On his second voyage, he found the use of it very

prevalent at Ulietea; but it had still gained very little ground at

Otaheite. When we were last there, the dreadful havock it had made was

beyond belief, insomuch that the Captain scarce knew many of his old

acquaintances. At the Friendly Islands, it is also constantly drunk by

the chiefs, but so much diluted with water, that it does not appear to

produce any bad effects. At Atooi, also, it is used with great

moderation, and the chiefs are, in consequence, a much finer set of men

there, than in any of the neighbouring islands. We remarked, that, by

discontinuing the use of this root, the noxious effects of it soon wore

off. Our good friends, Kaireekeea and old Kaoo, were persuaded by us to

refrain from it; and they recovered amazingly during the short time we

afterward remained in the island.

It may be thought extremely difficult to form any probable conjectures

respecting the population of islands, with many parts of which we are

but imperfectly acquainted. There are, however, two circumstances, that

take away much of this objection; the first is, that the interior parts

of the country are entirely uninhabited; so that, if the number of the

inhabitants along the coast be known, the whole will be pretty

accurately determined. The other is, that there are no towns of any

considerable size, the habitations of the natives being pretty equally

dispersed in small villages, round all their coasts. It is on this

ground, that I shall venture at a rough calculation of the number of

persons in this group of islands.

The bay of Karakakooa, in Owhyhee, is three miles in extent, and

contains four villages of about eighty houses each; upon an average, in

all three hundred and twenty; besides a number of straggling houses;

which may make the whole amount to three hundred and fifty. From the

frequent opportunities I had of informing myself on this head, I am

convinced, that six persons to a house is a very moderate allowance; so

that, on this calculation, the country about the bay contains two

thousand one hundred souls. To these may be added, fifty families, or

three hundred persons, which I conceive to be nearly the number employed

in the interior parts of the country, amongst their plantations; making

in all two thousand four hundred. If, therefore, this number be applied

to the whole extent of coast round the island, deducting a quarter for

the uninhabited parts, it will be found to contain one hundred and fifty

thousand. By the same mode of calculation, the rest of the islands will

be found to contain the following numbers:

Owhyhee, 150,000

Mowee, 65,400

Woahoo, 60,200

Atooi, 54,000

Morotoi, 36,000

Oneeheow, 10,000

Ranai, 20,400

Oreehoua, 4,000

-------

Total of inhabitants, 400,000

I am pretty confident, that, in this calculation, I have not exceeded

the truth in the total amount. If we compare the numbers supposed to be

in Owhyhee, with the population of Otaheite, as settled by Dr. Foster,

this computation will be found very low. The proportion of coast, in the

latter island, is, to that of Owhyhee, only as one to three: the number

of inhabitants in Otaheite, he states to be one hundred and twenty-one

thousand five hundred; though, according to his own principles, it

should be double that amount. Again, if we compare it with the medium

population of the countries in Europe, the proportion will be in favour

of the latter nearly as two to one.

Notwithstanding the irreparable loss we suffered from the sudden

resentment 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 disposition; equally remote from the extreme levity and

fickleness of the Otaheiteans, and the distant gravity and reserve 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 constant attention to

them; and the men would often lend their assistance in those domestic

offices, with a willingness that does credit to their feelings.

It must, however, be observed, that they fall very short of the other

islanders, in that best test of civilization, the respect paid to the

women. Here they are not only deprived of the privilege of eating with

the men, but the best sorts of food are _tabooed_, or forbidden them.

They are not allowed to eat pork, turtle, several kinds of fish, and

some species of the plantains; and we were told that a poor girl got a

terrible beating, for having eaten, on board our ship, one of these

interdicted articles. In their domestic life, they appear to live almost

entirely by themselves, and though we did not observe any instances of

personal ill-treatment, yet it was evident they had little regard or

attention paid them.

The great hospitality and kindness with which we were received by them,

have been already frequently remarked; and indeed they make the

principal part of our transactions with them. Whenever we came on shore,

there was a constant struggle who should be most forward in making us

little presents, bringing refreshments, or showing some other mark of

their respect. The whole people never failed of receiving us with tears

of joy; seemed highly gratified with being allowed to touch us, and were

constantly making comparisons between themselves and us, with the

strongest marks of humility. The young women were not less kind and

engaging, and, till they found, notwithstanding our utmost endeavours to

prevent it, that they had reason to repent of our acquaintance, attached

themselves to us without the least reserve.

In justice, however, to the sex, it must be observed, that these ladies

were probably all of the lower class of the people; for I am strongly

inclined to believe, that, excepting the few, whose names are mentioned

in the course of our narrative, we did not see any woman of rank, during

our stay amongst them.

Their natural capacity seems, in no respect, below the common standard

of mankind. Their improvements in agriculture, and the perfection of

their manufactures, are certainly adequate to the circumstances of their

situation, and the natural advantages they enjoy. The eager curiosity

with which they attended the armourer’s forge, and the many expedients

they had invented, even before we left the islands, for working the iron

they had procured from us, into such forms as were best adapted to their

purposes, were strong proofs of docility and ingenuity.

Our unfortunate friend, Kaneena, possessed a degree of judicious

curiosity, and a quickness of conception, which was rarely met with

amongst these people. He was very inquisitive after our customs and

manners; asked after our king; the nature of our government; our

numbers; the method of building our ships; our houses; the produce of

our country; whether we had wars; with whom; and on what occasions; and

in what manner they were carried on; who was our God; and many other

questions of the same nature, which indicated an understanding of great

comprehension.

We met with two instances of persons disordered in their minds, the one

a man at Owhyhee, the other a woman at Oneeheow. It appeared, from the

particular attention and respect paid to them, that the opinion of their

being inspired by the Divinity, which obtains among most of the nations

of the east, is also received here.

Though the custom of eating the bodies of their enemies be not known, by

positive evidence, to exist in any of the South Sea Islands, except New

Zealand, yet it is extremely probable, that it was originally prevalent

in them all. The sacrificing human victims, which seems evidently to be

a relic of this horrid practice, still obtains universally amongst these

islanders; and it is easy to conceive, why the New Zealanders should

retain the repast, which was probably the last act of these shocking

rites, longer than the rest of their tribe, who were situated in more

mild and fruitful climates. As the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands

certainly bear a nearer resemblance to those of New Zealand, both in

their persons and dispositions than to any other people of this family,

so it was strongly suspected, by Mr. Anderson, that, like them, they

still continue to feast on human flesh. The evidence on which he founds

this opinion, has been stated very fully in the tenth chapter of the

third book[14]; but, as I always entertained great doubts of the justice

of his conclusions, it may not be improper to take this occasion of

mentioning the grounds on which I venture to differ from him. With

respect to the information derived from the natives themselves, I shall

only observe, that great pains were taken, by almost every officer on

board, to come at the knowledge of so curious a circumstance; and that,

except in the two instances mentioned by Mr. Anderson, we found them

invariably denying the existence of any such custom amongst them. It

must be allowed, that Mr. Anderson’s knowledge of their language, which

was superior to that of any other person in either ship, ought certainly

to give his opinion great weight; at the same time, I must beg leave to

remark, that, being present when he examined the man who had the small

piece of salted flesh wrapped in cloth, it struck me very forcibly, that

the signs he made use of meant nothing more, than that it was intended

to be ate, and that it was very pleasant or wholesome to the stomach. In

this opinion, I was confirmed by a circumstance which came to our

knowledge, after the death of my worthy and ingenious friend, _viz._

that almost every native of these islands carried about with him, either

in his calibash, or wrapped up in a piece of cloth, and tied about his

waist, a small piece of raw pork, highly salted, which they considered

as a great delicacy, and used now and then to taste of. With respect to

the confusion the young lad was in (for he was not more than sixteen or

eighteen years of age), no one could have been surprized at it who had

seen the eager and earnest manner in which Mr. Anderson questioned him.

The argument drawn from the instrument made with shark’s teeth, and

which is nearly of the same form with those used at New Zealand for

cutting up the bodies of their enemies, is much more difficult to

controvert. I believe it to be an undoubted fact, that this knife, if it

may be so called, is never used by them in cutting the flesh of other

animals. However, as the custom of offering human sacrifices, and of

burning the bodies of the slain, is still prevalent here, it is not

improbable, that the use of this instrument is retained in those

ceremonies. Upon the whole, I am strongly inclined to think, and

particularly from this last circumstance, that the horrid practice in

question has but lately ceased amongst these and other islands of the

South Sea. Omai, when pressed on this subject, confessed, that, in the

rage and fury of revenge, they would sometimes tear the flesh of their

enemies, that were slain, with their teeth; but positively denied that

they ever eat it. This was certainly approaching as near the fact as

could be; but, on the other hand, the denial is a strong proof that the

practice has actually ceased; since in New Zealand, where it still

exists, the inhabitants never made the smallest scruple of confessing

it.

The inhabitants of these islands differ from those of the Friendly

Isles, in suffering, almost universally, 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 same

variety in the manner of wearing the hair is also observable here, as

among the other islanders of the South Sea; besides which, they have a

fashion, as far as we know, peculiar to themselves. They cut it close on

each side the head, down to the ears, leaving a ridge, of about a small

hand’s breadth, running from the forehead to the neck; which, when the

hair is thick and curling, has the form of the crest of the ancient

helmet. Others wear large quantities of false hair, flowing down their

backs in long ringlets, like the figure of the inhabitants of Horn

Island, as seen in Dalrymple’s Voyages; and others, again, tie it into a

single round bunch on the top of the head, almost as large as the head

itself; and some into five or six distinct bunches. They daub their hair

with a grey clay, mixed with powdered shells, which they keep in balls,

and chew into a kind of soft paste, when they have occasion to make use

of it. This keeps the hair smooth; and, in time, changes it to a pale

yellow colour.

Both sexes wear necklaces, made of strings 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, stone, or ivory, finely

polished, which is hung about the neck, by fine threads of twisted hair,

doubled sometimes an hundred fold. Instead of this ornament, some of

them wear, on their breast, a small human figure, made of bone,

suspended in the same manner.

The fan, or fly-flap, is also an ornament used by both sexes. The most

ordinary kind are made of the fibres of the cocoa-nut, tied loose, in

bunches, to the top of a smooth polished handle. The tail-feathers of

the cock, and of the tropic-bird, are also used in the same manner; but

the most valuable are those which have the handle made of the arm or leg

bones of an enemy slain in battle, and which are preserved with great

care, and handed down, from father to son, as trophies of inestimable

value.

The custom of _tattowing_ the body, they have in common with the rest of

the natives of the South Sea Islands; but it is only at New Zealand and

the Sandwich Islands that they _tattow_ the face. There is also this

difference between the two last, that, in the former, it is done in

elegant spiral volutes, and in the latter, in straight lines, crossing

each other at right angles. The hands and arms of the women are also

very neatly marked, and they have a singular custom amongst them, the

meaning of which we could never learn, that of _tattowing_ the tip of

the tongues of the females.

From some information we received, relative to the custom of

_tattowing_, we were inclined to think that it is frequently intended as

a sign of mourning on the death of a chief, or any other calamitous

event. For we were often told, that such a particular mark was in memory

of such a chief; and so of the rest. It may be here, too, observed, that

the lowest class are often _tattowed_ with a mark that distinguishes

them as the property of the several chiefs to whom they belong.

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 waist. This is the common dress of

all ranks of people. Their mats, some of which are beautifully

manufactured, are of various sizes, but mostly about five feet long, and

four broad. These they throw over their shoulders, and bring forward

before; but they are seldom used, except in time of war, for which

purpose they seem better adapted than for ordinary use, being of a thick

and cumbersome texture, and capable of breaking the blow of a stone, or

any blunt weapon. Their feet are generally bare, except when they have

occasion to travel over the burnt stones, when they secure them with a

sort of sandal, made of cords, twisted from the fibres of the cocoa-nut.

Such is the ordinary dress of these islanders; but they have another,

appropriated to their chiefs, and used on ceremonious occasions,

consisting of a feathered cloak and helmet, which, in point of beauty

and magnificence, is perhaps nearly equal to that of any nation in the

world. As this dress has been already described with great accuracy and

minuteness, I have only to add, that these cloaks are made of different

lengths, in proportion to the rank of the wearer, some of them reaching

no lower than the middle, others trailing on the ground. The inferior

chiefs have also a short cloak, resembling the former, made of the long

tail-feathers of the cock, the tropic and man-of-war birds, with a broad

border of the small red and yellow feathers, and a collar of the same.

Others again are made of feathers entirely white, with variegated

borders. The helmet has a strong lining of wicker-work, capable of

breaking the blow of any warlike instrument, and seems evidently

designed for that purpose.

These feathered dresses seemed to be exceedingly scarce, appropriated to

persons of the highest rank, and worn by the men only. During the whole

time we lay in Karakakooa Bay, we never saw them used but on three

occasions: in the curious ceremony of Terreeoboo’s first visit to the

ships; by some chiefs who were seen among the crowd on shore when

Captain Cook was killed; and afterward when Eappo brought his bones to

us.

The exact resemblance between this habit, and the cloak and helmet

formerly worn by the Spaniards, was too striking not to excite our

curiosity to inquire whether there were any probable grounds for

supposing it to have been borrowed from them. After exerting every means

in our power of obtaining information on this subject, we found that

they had no immediate knowledge of any other nation whatever; nor any

tradition remaining among them of these islands having been ever visited

before by such ships as ours. But notwithstanding the result of these

inquiries, the uncommon form of this habit appears to me a sufficient

proof of its European origin; especially when added to another

circumstance, that it is a singular deviation from the general

resemblance in dress which prevails amongst all the branches of this

tribe, dispersed through the South Sea. We were driven indeed, by this

conclusion, to a supposition of the shipwreck of some Buccaneer, or

Spanish ship in the neighbourhood of these islands. But when it is

recollected, that the course of the Spanish trade from Acapulco to the

Manillas is but a few degrees to the southward of the Sandwich Islands,

in their passage out, and to the northward, on their return, this

supposition will not appear in the least improbable.

The common dress of the women bears a close resemblance to that of the

men. They wrap round the waist a piece of cloth, that reaches half way

down the thighs; and sometimes, in the cool of the evening, they

appeared with loose pieces of fine cloth thrown over their shoulders,

like the women of Otaheite. The _pau_ is another dress very frequently

worn by the younger part of the sex. It is made of the thinnest and

finest sort of cloth, wrapt several times round the waist, and

descending to the leg; so as to have exactly the appearance of a full

short petticoat. Their hair is cut short behind, and turned up before,

as is the fashion among the Otaheiteans and New Zealanders; all of whom

differ, in this respect, from the women of the Friendly Islands, who

wear their hair long. We saw, indeed, one woman in Karakakooa Bay, whose

hair was arranged in a very singular manner; it was turned up behind,

and brought over the forehead, and then doubled back, so as to form a

sort of shade to the face, like a small bonnet.

Their necklaces are made of shells, or of a hard, shining red berry.

Besides which, they wear wreaths of dried flowers of the Indian mallow;

and another beautiful ornament called _eraie_, which is generally put

about the neck, but is sometimes tied like a garland round the hair, and

sometimes worn in both these ways at once. It is a ruff of the thickness

of a finger, made, in a curious manner, of exceedingly small feathers,

woven so close together as to form a surface as smooth as that of the

richest velvet. The ground was generally of a red colour, with alternate

circles of green, yellow, and black. Their bracelets, which were also of

great variety, and very peculiar kinds, have been already described.

At Atooi, some of the women wore little figures of the turtle, neatly

formed of wood or ivory, tied on their fingers in the manner we wear

rings. Why this animal is thus particularly distinguished, I leave to

the conjectures of the curious. There is also an ornament made of

shells, fastened in rows on a ground of strong netting, so as to strike

each other, when in motion; which both men and women, when they dance,

tie either round the arm or the ankle, or below the knee. Instead of

shells, they sometimes make use of dogs’ teeth, and a hard red berry,

resembling that of the holly.

There remains to be mentioned another ornament, if such it may be

called. It is a kind of mask, made of a large gourd, with holes cut in

it for the eyes and nose. The top was stuck full of small green twigs,

which, at a distance, had the appearance of an elegant waving plume: and

from the lower part hung narrow stripes of cloth, resembling a beard. We

never saw these masks worn but twice, and both times by a number of

people together in a canoe, who came to the side of the ship laughing

and drolling, with an air of masquerading. Whether they may not likewise

be used as a defence for the head against stones, for which they seem

best designed, or in some of their public games, or be merely intended

for the purposes of mummery, we could never inform ourselves.

It has already been remarked, in a few instances, that the natives of

the Sandwich Islands approach nearer to the New Zealanders, in their

manners and customs, than to either of their less distant neighbours of

the Society or Friendly Islands. This is in nothing more observable,

than in their method of living together in small towns or villages,

containing from about one hundred to two hundred houses, built pretty

close together, without any order, and having a winding path leading

through them. They are generally flanked, toward the sea, with loose

detached walls, which probably are meant both for the purposes of

shelter and defence. The figure of their houses has been already

described. They are of different sizes, from eighteen feet by twelve, to

forty-five by twenty-four. There are some of a larger kind; being fifty

feet long and thirty broad, and quite open at one end. These, they told

us, were designed for travellers or strangers, who were only making a

short stay.

In addition to the furniture of their houses, which has been accurately

described by Captain Cook, I have only to add, that at one end are mats

on which they sleep, with wooden pillows, or sleeping stools, exactly

like those of the Chinese. Some of the better sort of houses have a

court-yard before them, neatly railed in, with smaller houses built

round it, for their servants. In this _area_ they generally eat, and sit

during the day-time. In the sides of the hills, and among the steep

rocks, we also observed several holes or caves, which appeared to be

inhabited; but as the entrance was defended with wicker work, and we

also found, in the only one that was visited, a stone fence running

across it within, we imagine they are principally designed for places of

retreat, in case of an attack from an enemy.

The food of the lower class of people consists principally of fish, and

vegetables; such as yams, sweet potatoes, tarrow, plantains,

sugar-canes, and bread-fruit. To these, the people of a higher rank add

the flesh of hogs and dogs, dressed in the same manner as at the Society

Islands. They also eat fowls of the same domestic kind with ours; but

they are neither plentiful, nor much esteemed by them. It is remarked by

Captain Cook, that the bread-fruit and yams appeared scarce amongst

them, and were reckoned great rarities. We found this not to be the case

on our second visit; and it is therefore most probable, that, as these

vegetables were generally planted in the interior parts of the country,

the natives had not had time to bring them down to us, during the short

stay we made in Wymoa Bay. Their fish they salt, and preserve in

gourd-shells; not, as we at first imagined, for the purpose of providing

against any temporary scarcity, but from the preference they give to

salted meats. For we also found, that the _Erees_ used to pickle pieces

of pork in the same manner, and esteemed it a great delicacy.

Their cookery is exactly of the same sort with that already described,

in the accounts that have been published of the other South Sea islands:

and though Captain Cook complains of the sourness of their tarrow

puddings, yet, in justice to the many excellent meals they afforded us

in Karakakooa Bay, I must be permitted to rescue them from this general

censure, and to declare, that I never eat better, even in the Friendly

Islands. It is however remarkable, that they had not got the art of

preserving the bread-fruit, and making the sour paste of it called

_Maihee_, as at the Society Islands; and it was some satisfaction to us,

in return for their great kindness and hospitality, to have it in our

power to teach them this useful secret. They are exceedingly cleanly at

their meals; and their mode of dressing both their animal and vegetable

food, was universally allowed to be greatly superior to ours. The chiefs

constantly begin their meal with a doze of the extract of pepper-root,

brewed after the usual manner. The women eat apart from the men, and are

_tabooed_, or forbidden, as has been already mentioned, the use of pork,

turtle, and particular kinds of plantains. However, they would eat pork

with us in private; but we could never prevail upon them to touch the

two last articles.

The way of spending their time appears to be very simple, and to admit

of little variety.

They rise with the sun; and, after enjoying the cool of the evening,

retire to rest a few hours after sun-set. The making of canoes and mats

forms the occupations of the _Erees_; the women are employed in

manufacturing cloth; and the _Towtows_ are principally engaged in the

plantations and fishing. Their idle hours are filled up with various

amusements. Their young men and women are fond of dancing; and, on more

solemn occasions, they have boxing and wrestling matches, after the

manner of the Friendly Islands; though, in all these respects, they are

much inferior to the latter.

Their dances have a much nearer resemblance to those of the New

Zealanders, than of the Otaheiteans or Friendly Islanders. They are

prefaced with a slow, solemn song, in which all the party join, moving

their legs, and gently striking their breasts, in a manner, and with

attitudes, that are perfectly easy and graceful; and so far they are the

same with the dances of the Society Islands. When this has lasted about

ten minutes, both the tune and the motions gradually quicken, and end

only by their inability to support their fatigue; which part of the

performance is the exact counterpart of that of the New Zealanders; and

(as it is among them) the person who uses the most violent action, and

holds out the longest, is applauded as the best dancer. It is to be

observed, that, in this dance, the women only take a part, and that the

dancing of the men is nearly of the same kind with what we saw of the

small parties at the Friendly Islands; and which may, perhaps, with more

propriety, be called the accompaniment of songs, with corresponding and

graceful motions of the whole body. Yet as we were spectators of boxing

exhibitions, of the same kind with those we were entertained with at the

Friendly Islands, it is probable that they had likewise their grand

ceremonious dances, in which numbers of both sexes assisted.

Their music is also of a ruder kind, having neither flutes or reeds, nor

instruments of any other sort, that we saw, except drums of various

sizes. But their songs, which they sung in parts[15], and accompany with

a gentle motion of the arms, in the same manner as the Friendly

Islanders, had a very pleasing effect.

It is very remarkable, that the people of these islands are great

gamblers. They have a game very much like our draughts; but, if one may

judge from the number of squares, it is much more intricate. The board

is about two feet long, and is divided into two hundred and thirty-eight

squares, of which there are fourteen in a row, and they make use of

black and white pebbles, which they move from square to square.

There is another game, which consists in hiding a stone under a piece of

cloth, which one of the parties spreads out, and rumples in such a

manner, that the place where the stone lies is difficult to be

distinguished. The antagonist, with a stick, then strikes the part of

the cloth where he imagines the stone to be; and as the chances are,

upon the whole, considerably against his hitting it, odds, of all

degrees, varying with the opinion of the skill of the parties, are laid

on the side of him who hides.

Besides these games, they frequently amuse themselves with

racing-matches between the boys and girls; and here again they wager

with great spirit. I saw a man in a most violent rage, tearing his hair,

and beating his breast, after losing three hatchets at one of these

races which he had just before purchased from us with half his

substance.

Swimming is not only a necessary art, in which both their men and women

are more expert than any people we had hitherto seen, but a favourite

diversion amongst them. One particular mode, in which they sometimes

amused themselves with this exercise in Karakakooa Bay, appeared to us

most perilous and extraordinary, and well deserving a distinct relation.

The surf, which breaks on the coast round the bay, extends to the

distance of about one hundred and fifty yards from the shore, within

which space, the surges of the sea, accumulating from the shallowness of

the water, are dashed against the beach with prodigious violence.

Whenever, from stormy weather, or any extraordinary swell at sea, the

impetuosity of the surf is increased to its utmost height, they choose

that time for this amusement, which is performed in the following

manner: twenty or thirty of the natives, taking each a long narrow

board, rounded at the ends, set out together from the shore. The first

wave they meet, they plunge under, and suffering it to roll over them,

rise again beyond it, and make the best of their way, by swimming, out

into the sea. The second wave is encountered in the same manner with the

first; the great difficulty consisting in seizing the proper moment of

diving under it, which, if missed, the person is caught by the surf and

driven back again with great violence; and all his dexterity is then

required to prevent himself from being dashed against the rocks. As soon

as they have gained, by these repeated efforts, the smooth water beyond

the surf, they lay themselves at length on their board, and prepare for

their return. As the surf consists of a number of waves, of which every

third is remarked to be always much larger than the others, and to flow

higher on the shore, the rest breaking in the intermediate space, their

first object is to place themselves on the summit of the largest surge,

by which they are driven along with amazing rapidity toward the shore.

If by mistake they should place themselves on one of the smaller waves,

which breaks before they reach the land, or should not be able to keep

their plank in a proper direction on the top of the swell, they are left

exposed to the fury of the next, and, to avoid it, are obliged again to

dive and regain the place from which they set out. Those who succeed in

their object of reaching the shore, have still the greatest danger to

encounter. The coast being guarded by a chain of rocks, with, here and

there, a small opening between them, they are obliged to steer their

board through one of these, or, in case of failure, to quit it, before

they reach the rocks, and, plunging under the wave, make the best of

their way back again. This is reckoned very disgraceful, and is also

attended with the loss of the board, which I have often seen, with great

terror, dashed to pieces, at the very moment the islander quitted it.

The boldness and address with which we saw them perform these difficult

and dangerous manœuvres, was altogether astonishing, and is scarcely to

be credited.[16]

An accident, of which I was a near spectator, shews at how early a

period they are so far familiarized to the water, as both to lose all

fears of it, and to set its dangers at defiance. A canoe being overset,

in which was a woman with her children, one of them an infant, who, I am

convinced, was not more than four years old, seemed highly delighted

with what had happened, swimming about at its ease, and playing a

hundred tricks, till the canoe was put to rights again.

Besides the amusements I have already mentioned, the young children have

one which was much played at, and shewed no small degree of dexterity.

They take a short stick, with a peg sharpened at both ends, running

through one extremity of it, and extending about an inch on each side;

and throwing up a ball made of green leaves moulded together, and

secured with twine, they catch it on the point of the peg; and

immediately throwing it up again from the peg, they turn the stick

round, and thus keep catching it on each peg alternately, without

missing it, for a considerable time. They are not less expert at another

game of the same nature, tossing up in the air and catching in their

turns a number of these balls; so that we frequently saw little children

thus keep in motion five at a time. With this latter play the young

people likewise divert themselves at the Friendly Islands.

The great resemblance which prevails in the mode of agriculture and

navigation amongst all the inhabitants of the South Sea islands, leaves

me very little to add on those heads. Captain Cook has already described

the figure of the canoes we saw at Atooi. Those of the other islands

were precisely the same; and the largest we saw was a double canoe

belonging to Terreeoboo, which measured seventy feet in length, three

and half in depth, and twelve in breadth; and each was hollowed out of

one tree.

The progress they have made in sculpture, their skill in painting cloth

and the manufacturing of mats, have been all particularly described. The

most curious specimens of the former which we saw during our second

visit, are the bowls in which the chiefs drink _ava_. These are usually

about eight or ten inches in diameter, perfectly round, and beautifully

polished. They are supported by three, and sometimes four small human

figures, in various attitudes. Some of them rest on the hands of their

supporters, extended over the head, others on the head and hands, and

some on the shoulders. The figures, I am told, are accurately

proportioned and neatly finished, and even the anatomy of the muscles in

supporting the weight well expressed.

Their cloth is made of the same materials and in the same manner as at

the Friendly and Society Islands. That which is designed to be painted

is of a thick and strong texture, several folds being beat and

incorporated together; after which it is cut in breadths about two or

three feet wide, and is painted in a variety of patterns, with a

comprehensiveness and regularity of design that bespeaks infinite taste

and fancy. The exactness with which the most intricate patterns are

continued is the more surprising, when we consider that they have no

stamps, and that the whole is done by the eye with pieces of bamboo cane

dipped in paint, the hand being supported by another piece of the cane,

in the manner practised by our painters. Their colours are extracted

from the same berries and other vegetable substances as at Otaheite,

which have been already described by former voyagers.

The business of painting belongs entirely to the women, and is called

_kipparee_; and it is remarkable, that they always gave the same name to

our writing. The young women would often take the pen out of our hands,

and show us that they knew the use of it as well as we did; at the same

time telling us that our pens were not so good as theirs. They looked

upon a sheet of written paper, as a piece of cloth striped after the

fashion of our country; and it was not without the utmost difficulty,

that we could make them understand, that our figures had a meaning in

them which theirs had not.

Their mats are made of the leaves of the _pandanus_; and, as well as

their cloths, are beautifully worked in a variety of patterns, and

stained of different colours. Some have a ground of pale green, spotted

with squares, or rhomboids of red; others are of a straw colour, spotted

with green; and others are worked with beautiful stripes, either in

straight or waving lines of red and brown. In this article of

manufacture, whether we regard the strength, fineness, or beauty, they

certainly excel the whole world.

Their fishing-hooks are made of mother-of-pearl, bone, or wood, pointed

and barbed with small bones, or tortoise-shell. They are of various

sizes and forms; but the most common are about two or three inches long,

and made in the shape of a small fish, which serves as a bait, having a

bunch of feathers tied to the head or tail. Those with which they fish

for sharks, are of a very large size, being generally six or eight

inches long. Considering the materials of which these hooks are made,

their strength and neatness are really astonishing; and in fact we found

them upon trial much superior to our own.

The line which they use for fishing, for making nets, and for other

domestic purposes, is of different degrees of fineness, and is made of

the bark of the _touta_, or cloth tree, neatly and evenly twisted, in

the same manner as our common twine; and may be continued to any length.

They have a finer sort, made of the bark of a small shrub called

_areemah_; and the finest is made of human hair; but this last is

chiefly used for things of ornament. They also make cordage of a

stronger kind, for the rigging of their canoes, from the fibrous

coatings of the cocoa-nuts. Some of this we purchased for our own use,

and found it well adapted to the smaller kinds of running rigging. They

likewise make another sort of cordage, which is flat, and exceedingly

strong, and used principally in lashing the roofing of their houses, or

whatever they wish to fasten tight together. This last is not twisted

like the former sorts, but is made of the fibrous strings of the

cocoa-nut’s coat, plaited with the fingers, in the manner our sailors

make their points for the reefing of sails.

The gourds, which grow to so enormous a size, that some of them are

capable of containing from ten to twelve gallons, are applied to all

manner of domestic purposes; and in order to fit them the better to

their respective uses, they have the ingenuity to give them different

forms, by tying bandages round them during their growth. Thus, some of

them are of a long, cylindrical form, as best adapted to contain their

fishing-tackle; others are of a dish form, and these serve to hold their

salt, and salted provisions, their puddings, vegetables, &c.; which two

sorts have neat close covers, made likewise of the gourd; others again

are exactly the shape of a bottle with a long neck, and in these they

keep their water. They have likewise a method of scoring them with a

heated instrument, so as to give them the appearance of being painted,

in a variety of neat and elegant designs.

Amongst their arts, we must not forget that of making salt, with which

we were amply supplied, during our stay at these islands, and which was

perfectly good of its kind. Their salt pans are made of earth, lined

with clay; being generally six or eight feet square, and about eight

inches deep. They are raised upon a bank of stones near the high water

mark, from whence the salt water is conducted to the foot of them, in

small trenches, out of which they are filled, and the sun quickly

performs the necessary process of evaporation. The salt we procured at

Atooi and Oneeheow, on our first visit, was of a brown and dirty sort;

but that which we afterward got in Karakakooa Bay, was white, and of a

most excellent quality, and in great abundance. Besides the quantity we

used in salting pork, we filled all our empty casks, amounting to

sixteen puncheons, in the Resolution only.

Their instruments of war are spears; daggers, called _pahooas_; clubs,

and slings. The spears are of two sorts, and made of a hard solid wood,

which has much the appearance of mahogany. One sort is from six to eight

feet in length, finely polished, and gradually increasing in thickness

from the extremity till within about half a foot of the point, which

tapers suddenly, and is furnished with four or six rows of barbs. It is

not improbable, that these might be used in the way of darts. The other

sort, with which we saw the warriors at Owhyhee and Atooi mostly armed,

are twelve or fifteen feet long, and instead of being barbed, terminate

toward the point, like their daggers.

The dagger, or _pahooa_, is made of heavy black wood, resembling ebony.

Its length is from one to two feet, with a string passing through the

handle, for the purpose of suspending it to the arm.

The clubs are made indifferently of several sorts of wood. They are of

rude workmanship, and of a variety of shapes and sizes.

The slings have nothing singular about them; and in no respect differ

from our common slings, except that the stone is lodged on a piece of

matting instead of leather.

CHAP. VIII.

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS CONTINUED.—GOVERNMENT.—PEOPLE

DIVIDED INTO THREE CLASSES.—POWER OF EREE-TABOO.—GENEALOGY OF THE

KINGS OF OWHYHEE AND MOWEE.—POWER OF THE CHIEFS.—STATE OF THE INFERIOR

CLASS.—PUNISHMENT OF CRIMES.—RELIGION.—SOCIETY OF PRIESTS.—THE ORONO.—

THEIR IDOLS.—SONGS CHANTED BY THE CHIEFS, BEFORE THEY DRINK AVA.—HUMAN

SACRIFICES.—CUSTOM OF KNOCKING OUT THE FORE-TEETH.—NOTIONS WITH REGARD

TO A FUTURE STATE.—MARRIAGES.—REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF JEALOUSY.—FUNERAL

RITES.

The people of these islands are manifestly divided into three classes.

The first are the _Erees_, or chiefs, of each district; one of whom is

superior to the rest, and is called at Owhyhee _Eree-taboo_, and _Eree

Moee_. By the first of these words they express his absolute authority;

and by the latter, that all are obliged to prostrate themselves (or put

themselves to sleep, as the word signifies) in his presence. The second

class are those who appear to enjoy a right of property, without

authority. The third are the _towtows_, or servants, who have neither

rank nor property.

It is not possible to give any thing like a systematical account of the

subordination of these classes to each other, without departing from

that strict veracity, which, in works of this nature, is more

satisfactory than conjectures, however ingenious. I will therefore

content myself with relating such facts, as we were witnesses to

ourselves, and such accounts as we thought could be depended upon; and

shall leave the reader to form, from them, his own ideas of the nature

of their government.

The great power and high rank of Terreeoboo, the _Eree-taboo_ of

Owhyhee, was very evident, from the manner in which he was received at

Karakakooa on his first arrival. All the natives were seen prostrated at

the entrance of their houses; and the canoes, for two days before, were

_tabooed_, or forbidden to go out till he took off the restraint. He

was, at this time, just returned from Mowee, for the possession of which

he was contending in favor of his son Teewarro, who had married the

daughter and only child of the late king of that island, against

Taheeterree, his surviving brother. He was attended in this expedition

by many of his warriors; but whether their service was voluntary, or the

condition on which they hold their rank and property, we could not

learn.

That he collects tribute from the subordinate chiefs, we had a very

striking proof in the instance of Kaoo, which has been already related

in our transactions of the 2d and 3d of February.

I have before mentioned, that the two most powerful chiefs of these

islands are Terreeoboo of Owhyhee, and Perreeorannee of Woahoo; the rest

of the smaller isles being subject to one or other of these; Mowee, and

its dependencies, being, at this time, claimed, as we have just

observed, by Terreeoboo for Teewarro his son and intended successor;

Atooi and Oneeheow being governed by the grandsons of Perreeorannee.

The following genealogy of the Owhyhee and Mowee kings, which I

collected from the priests, during our residence at the _Morai_ in

Karakakooa Bay, contains all the information I could procure relative to

the political history of these islands.

This account reaches to four chiefs, predecessors of the present; all of

whom they represent to have lived to an old age. Their names and

successions are as follow:

First, Poorahoo Awhykaia was king of Owhyhee, and had an only son,

called Neerooagooa. At this time Mowee was governed by Mokoakea; who had

also an only son, named Papikaneeou.

Secondly, Neerooagooa had three sons, the eldest named Kahavee; and

Papikaneeou, of the Mowee race, had an only son, named Kaowreeka.

Thirdly, Kahavee had an only son, Kayenewee a mummow; and Kaowreeka, the

Mowee king, had two sons, Maiha-maiha, and Taheeterree; the latter of

whom is now, by one party, acknowledged Chief of Mowee.

Fourthly, Kayenewee a mummow had two sons, Terreeoboo and Kaihooa; and

Maiha-maiha, king of Mowee, had no son, but left a daughter, called

Roaho.

Fifthly, Terreeoboo, the present king of Owhyhee, had a son named

Teewarro, by Rora-rora, the widow of Maiha-maiha, late king of Mowee;

and this son has married Roaho, his half sister, in whose right he

claims Mowee and its appendages.

Taheeterree, the brother of the late king, supported by a considerable

party, who were not willing that the possessions should go into another

family, took up arms, and opposed the rights of his niece.

When we were first off Mowee, Terreeoboo was there with his warriors to

support the claims of his wife, his son, and daughter-in-law, and had

fought a battle with the opposite party, in which Taheeterree was

worsted. We afterward understood, that matters had been compromised, and

that Taheeterree is to have the possession of the three neighbouring

islands during his life; that Teewarro is acknowledged the chief of

Mowee, and will also succeed to the kingdom of Owhyhee on the death of

Terreeoboo; and also to the sovereignty of the three islands, contiguous

to Mowee, on the death of Taheeterree. Teewarro has been lately married

to his half sister; and should he die without issue, the government of

these islands descends to Maiha-maiha, whom we have often had occasion

to mention, he being the son of Kaihooa, the deceased brother of

Terreeoboo. Should he also die without issue, they could not tell who

would succeed; for the two youngest sons of Terreeoboo, one of whom he

appears to be exceedingly fond of, being born of a woman of no rank,

would, from this circumstance, be debarred all right of succession. We

had not an opportunity of seeing queen Rora-rora, whom Terreeoboo had

left behind at Mowee; but we have already had occasion to take notice,

that he was accompanied by Kanee Kaberaia, the mother of the two youths,

to whom he was very much attached.

From this account of the genealogy of the Owhyhee and Mowee monarchs, it

is pretty clear that the government is hereditary; which also makes it

very probable, that the inferior titles, and property itself, descend in

the same course. With regard to Perreeorannee, we could only learn, that

he is an _Eree-taboo_; that he was invading the possession of

Taheeterree, but on what pretence we were not informed; and that his

grandsons governed the islands to leeward.

The power of the _Erees_ over the inferior classes of people appears to

be very absolute. Many instances of this occurred daily during our stay

amongst them, and have been already related. The people, on the other

hand, pay them the most implicit obedience; and this state of servility

has manifestly had a great effect in debasing both their minds and

bodies. It is, however, remarkable, that the chiefs were never guilty,

as far at least as came within my knowledge, of any acts of cruelty or

injustice, or even of insolent behaviour toward them; though, at the

same time, they exercised their power over one another in the most

haughty and oppressive manner. Of this I shall give two instances. A

chief of the lower order had behaved with great civility to the master

of the ship, when he went to examine Karakakooa bay, the day before the

ship first arrived there; and, in return, I afterward carried him on

board, and introduced him to Captain Cook, who invited him to dine with

us. While we were at table, Pareea entered, whose face but too plainly

manifested his indignation, at seeing our guest in so honourable a

situation. He immediately seized him by the hair of the head, and was

proceeding to drag him out of the cabin, when the captain interfered;

and, after a great deal of altercation, all the indulgence we could

obtain, without coming to a quarrel with Pareea, was, that our guest

should be suffered to remain, being seated upon the floor, whilst Pareea

filled his place at the table. At another time, when Terreeoboo first

came on board the Resolution, Maiha-maiha, who attended him, finding

Pareea on deck, turned him out of the ship in the most ignominious

manner; and yet Pareea, we certainly knew, to be a man of the first

consequence.

How far the property of the lower class is secured against the rapacity

and despotism of the great chiefs, I cannot say; but it should seem,

that it is sufficiently protected against private theft, or mutual

depredation. For not only their plantations, which are spread over the

whole country, but also their houses, their hogs, and their cloth, were

left unguarded, without the smallest apprehensions. I have already

remarked, that they not only separate their possessions by walls in the

plain country, but that, in the woods likewise, wherever the

horse-plantains grow, they make use of small white flags, in the same

manner, and for the same purpose of discriminating property, as they do

bunches of leaves at Otaheite. All which circumstances, if they do not

amount to proofs, are strong indications that the power of the chiefs,

where property is concerned, is not arbitrary; but, at least, so far

circumscribed and ascertained, as to make it worth the while for the

inferior orders to cultivate the soil, and to occupy their possessions

distinct from each other.

With respect to the administration of justice, all the information we

could collect was very imperfect and confined. Whenever any of the

lowest class of people had a quarrel amongst themselves, the matter in

dispute was referred to the decision of some chief, probably the chief

of the district, or the person to whom they appertained. If an inferior

chief had given cause of offence to one of a higher rank, the feelings

of the latter at the moment seemed the only measure of his punishment.

If he had the good fortune to escape the first transports of his

superior’s rage, he generally found means, through the mediation of some

third person, to compound for his crime by a part or the whole of his

property and effects. These were the only facts that came to our

knowledge on this head.

The religion of these people resembles, in most of its principal

features, that of the Society and Friendly Islands. Their _Morais_,

their _Whattas_, their idols, their sacrifices, and their sacred songs,

all of which they have in common with each other, are convincing proofs,

that their religious notions are derived from the same source. In the

length and number of their ceremonies, this branch indeed far exceeds

the rest; and, though in all these countries, there is a certain class

of men, to whose care the performance of their religious rights is

committed; yet we had never met with a regular society of priests, till

we discovered the cloisters of Kakooa in Karakakooa Bay. The head of

this order was called _Orono_; a title which we imagined to imply

something highly sacred, and which, in the person of Omeeah, was

honoured almost to adoration. It is probable, that the privilege of

entering into this order (at least as to the principal offices in it),

is limited to certain families. Omeeah, the _Orono_, was the son of

Kaoo, and the uncle of Kaireekeea; which last presided, during the

absence of his grandfather, in all religious ceremonies at the _Morai_.

It was also remarked, that the child of Omeeah, an only son, about five

years old, was never suffered to appear without a number of attendants,

and such other marks of care and solicitude, as we saw no other like

instance of. This seemed to indicate, that his life was an object of the

greatest moment, and that he was destined to succeed to the high rank of

his father.

It has been mentioned, that the title of _Orono_, with all its honours,

was given to Captain Cook; and it is also certain, that they regarded

us, generally, as a race of people superior to themselves; and used

often to say, that great _Eatooa_ dwelled in our country. The little

image, which we have before described, as the favourite idol on the

_Morai_ in Karakakooa Bay, they call _Koonooraekaiee_, and said it was

Terreeoboo’s god; and that he also resided amongst us.

There are found an infinite variety of these images, both on the

_Morais_, and within and without their houses, to which they gave

different names; but it soon became obvious to us in how little

estimation they were held, from their frequent expressions of contempt

of them, and from their even offering them to sale for trifles. At the

same time, there seldom failed to be some one particular figure in

favour, to which, whilst this performance lasted, all their adoration

was addressed. This consisted in arraying it in red cloth; beating their

drums, and singing hymns before it; laying bunches of red feathers, and

different sorts of vegetables, at its feet; and exposing a pig, or a

dog, to rot on the _whatta_ that stood near it.

In a bay to the southward of Karakakooa, a party of our gentlemen were

conducted to a large house, in which they found the black figure of a

man, resting on his fingers and toes, with his head inclined backward;

the limbs well formed and exactly proportioned, and the whole

beautifully polished. This figure the natives called _Maee_; and round

it were placed thirteen others of rude and distorted shapes, which they

said were the _Eatooas_ of several deceased chiefs, whose names they

recounted. The place was full of _whattas_, on which lay the remains of

their offerings. They likewise give a place in their houses to many

ludicrous and some obscene idols, like the Priapus of the ancients.

It hath been remarked, by former voyagers, that both among the Society

and Friendly Islanders, an adoration is paid to particular birds; and I

am led to believe, that the same custom prevails here; and that,

probably, the raven is the object of it, from seeing two of these birds

tame at the village of Kakooa, which they told me were _Eatooas_; and,

refusing every thing I offered for them, cautioned me, at the same time,

not to hurt or offend them.

Amongst their religious ceremonies may be reckoned the prayers and

offerings made by the priests before their meals. Whilst the _ava_ is

chewing, of which they always drink before they begin their repast, the

person of the highest rank takes the lead in a sort of hymn, in which he

is presently joined by one, two, or more of the company; the rest moving

their bodies, and striking their hands gently together, in concert with

the singers. When the _ava_ is ready, cups of it are handed about to

those who do not join in the song, which they keep in their hands till

it is ended; when, uniting in one loud response, they drink off their

cup. The performers of the hymn are then served with _ava_, who drink it

after a repetition of the same ceremony; and, if there be present one of

a very superior rank, a cup is, last of all, presented to him, which,

after chanting some time alone, and being answered by the rest, and

pouring a little out on the ground, he drinks off. A piece of the flesh

that is dressed is next cut off, without any selection of the part of

the animal; which, together with some of the vegetables, being deposited

at the foot of the image of the _Eatooa_, and a hymn chanted, their meal

commences. A ceremony of much the same kind is also performed by the

chiefs, whenever they drink _ava_, between their meals.

Human sacrifices are more frequent here, according to the account of the

natives themselves, than in any other islands we visited. These horrid

rites are not only had recourse to upon the commencement of war and

preceding great battles, and other signal enterprizes; but the death of

any considerable chief calls for a sacrifice of one or more _Towtows_,

according to his rank; and we were told, that ten men were destined to

suffer on the death of Terreeoboo. What may (if any thing possibly can)

lessen, in some small degree, the horror of this practice, is, that the

unhappy victims have not the most distant intimation of their fate.

Those who are fixed upon to fall, are set upon with clubs wherever they

happen to be; and, after being dispatched, are brought dead to the place

where the remainder of the rites are completed. The reader will here

call to his remembrance the skulls of the captives, that had been

sacrificed at the death of some great chief, and which were fixed on the

rails round the top of the _Morai_ at Kakooa. We got a farther piece of

intelligence upon this subject at the village of Kowrowa; where, on our

inquiring into the use of a small piece of ground, inclosed with a stone

fence, we were told that it was an _Here-eere_, or burying-ground of a

chief; and there, added our informer, pointing to one of the corners,

lie the _tangata_ and _waheene taboo_, or the man and woman who were

sacrificed at his funeral.

To this class of their customs may also be referred that of knocking out

their fore-teeth. Scarce any of the lower people, and very few of the

chiefs, were seen, who had not lost one or more of them; and we always

understood, that this voluntary punishment, like the cutting off the

joints of the finger at the Friendly Islands, was not inflicted on

themselves from the violence of grief, on the death of their friends,

but was designed as a propitiatory sacrifice to the _Eatooa_, to avert

any danger or mischief to which they might be exposed.

We were able to learn but little of their notions with regard to a

future state. Whenever we asked them, whither the dead were gone? we

were always answered, that the breath, which they appeared to consider

as the soul, or immortal part, was gone to the _Eatooa_; and, on pushing

our inquiries farther, they seemed to describe some particular place,

where they imagined the abode of the deceased to be; but we could not

perceive, that they thought, in this state, either rewards or

punishments awaited them.

Having promised the reader, in the first chapter, an explanation of what

was meant by the word _taboo_, I shall, in this place, lay before him

the particular instances that fell under our observation, of its

application and effects. On our inquiring into the reasons of the

interdiction of all intercourse between us and the natives, the day

preceding the arrival of Terreeoboo, we were told, that the bay was

_tabooed_. The same restriction took place at our request, the day we

interred the bones of Captain Cook. In these two instances the natives

paid the most implicit and scrupulous obedience; but whether on any

religious principle, or merely in deference to the civil authority of

their chiefs, I cannot determine. When the ground near our

observatories, and the place where our masts lay, were _tabooed_, by

sticking small wands round them, this operated in a manner not less

efficacious. But though this mode of consecration was performed by the

priests only, yet still, as the men ventured to come within the space,

when invited by us, it should seem, that they were under no religious

apprehensions; and that their obedience was limited to our refusal only.

The women could, by no means, be induced to come near us; but this was

probably on account of the _Morai_ adjoining; which they are prohibited,

at all times, and in all the islands of those seas, from approaching.

Mention hath been already made, that women are always _tabooed_, or

forbidden to eat certain kind of meats. We also frequently saw several

at their meals, who had the meat put into their mouths by others; and,

on our asking the reason of this singularity, were told that they were

_tabooed_ or forbidden to feed themselves. This prohibition, we

understood, was always laid on them, after they had assisted at any

funeral, or touched a dead body, and also on other occasions. It is

necessary to observe, that, on these occasions, they apply the word

_taboo_ indifferently both to persons and things. Thus they say, the

natives were _tabooed_, or the bay was _tabooed_, and so of the rest.

This word is also used to express any thing sacred, or eminent, or

devoted. Thus the king of Owhyhee was called _Eree-taboo_; a human

victim _tangata-taboo_; and, in the same manner, among the Friendly

Islanders, Tonga, the island where the king resides, is named

_Tonga-taboo_.

Concerning their marriages, I can afford the reader little farther

satisfaction than informing him that such a relation or compact exists

amongst them. I have already had occasion to mention, that at the time

Terreeoboo had left his queen Rora-rora at Mowee, he was attended by

another woman, by whom he had children, and to whom he was very much

attached; but how far polygamy, properly speaking, is allowed, or how

far it is mixed with concubinage, either with respect to the king, the

chiefs, or among the inferior orders, too few facts came to our

knowledge to justify any conclusions. It hath also been observed, that,

except Kainee Kabareea, and the wife of the Orono, with three women whom

I shall have occasion hereafter to mention, we never saw any female of

high rank.

From what I had an opportunity of observing of the domestic concerns of

the lowest class, the house seemed to be under the direction of one man

and woman, and the children in the like state of subordination as in

civilized countries.

It will not be improper in this place to take notice, that we were

eye-witnesses of a fact, which, as it was the only instance we saw of

any thing like jealousy among them, shows at the same time that not only

fidelity but a degree of reserve is required from the married women of

consequence. At one of the entertainments of boxing, Omeeah was observed

to rise from his place two or three times, and to go up to his wife with

strong marks of displeasure, ordering her, as it appeared to us from his

manner, to withdraw. Whether it was, that being very handsome he thought

she drew too much of our attention; or without being able to determine

what other reason he might have for his conduct, it is but justice to

say that there existed no real cause of jealousy. However, she kept her

place; and when the entertainment was over joined our party, and

soliciting some trifling presents, was given to understand that we had

none about us, but that if she would accompany us toward our tent she

should return with such as she liked best. She was accordingly walking

along with us, which Omeeah observing, followed in a violent rage, and

seizing her by the hair began to inflict with his fists a severe

corporal punishment. This sight, especially as we had innocently been

the cause of it, gave us much concern, and yet we were told that it

would be highly improper to interfere between man and wife of such high

rank. We were, however, not left without the consolation of seeing the

natives at last interpose; and had the farther satisfaction of meeting

them together the next day, in perfect good humour with each other; and

what is still more singular, the lady would not suffer us to remonstrate

with her husband on his treatment of her, which we were much inclined to

do, and plainly told us that he had done no more than he ought.

Whilst I was ashore at the observatory at Karakakooa Bay, I had twice an

opportunity of seeing a considerable part of their funeral rites.

Intelligence was brought me of the death of an old chief in a house near

our observatories, soon after the event happened. On going to the place,

I found a number of people assembled and seated round a square _area_,

fronting the house in which the deceased lay, whilst a man in a

red-feathered cap advanced from an interior part of the house to the

door, and putting out his head, at almost every moment uttered a most

lamentable howl, accompanied with the most singular grimaces and violent

distortions of his face that can be conceived. After this had passed a

short time, a large mat was spread upon the _area_, and two men and

thirteen women came out of the house and seated themselves down upon it,

in three equal rows, the two men and three of the women being in front.

The necks and hands of the women were decorated with feathered ruffs,

and broad green leaves, curiously scolloped, were spread over their

shoulders. At one corner of this _area_, near a small hut, were half a

dozen boys waving small white banners, and the tufted wands or _taboo_

sticks which have been often mentioned in the former chapters, who would

not permit us to approach them. This led me to imagine that the dead

body might be deposited in this little hut; but I afterward understood

that it was in the house where the man in the red cap opened the rites,

by playing his tricks at the door. The company just mentioned being

seated on the mat, began to sing a melancholy tune, accompanied with a

slow and gentle motion of the body and arms. When this had continued

some time, they raised themselves on their knees, and in a posture

between kneeling and sitting, began by degrees to move their arms and

their bodies with great rapidity, the tune always keeping pace with

their motions. As these last exertions were too violent to continue

long, they resumed at intervals their slower movements; and after this

performance had lasted an hour, more mats were brought and spread upon

the _area_, and four or five elderly women, amongst whom I was told was

the dead chief’s wife, advanced slowly out of the house, and seating

themselves in the front of the first company, began to cry and wail most

bitterly, the women in the three rows behind joining them, whilst the

two men inclined their heads over them in a very melancholy and pensive

attitude. At this period of the rites, I was obliged to leave them to

attend at the observatory, but returning within half an hour found them

in the same situation. I continued with them till late in the evening,

and left them proceeding with little variation, as just described,

resolving, however, to attend early in the morning to see the remainder

of the ceremony. On my arrival at the house, as soon as it was day, I

found to my mortification the crowd dispersed and every thing quiet, and

was given to understand that the corpse was removed, nor could I learn

in what manner it was disposed of. I was interrupted in making farther

inquiries for this purpose by the approach of three women of rank, who,

whilst their attendants stood near them with their fly-flaps, sat down

by us, and entering into conversation soon made me comprehend that our

presence was a hindrance to the performance of some necessary rites. I

had hardly got out of sight before I heard their cries and lamentations;

and meeting them a few hours afterward, I found they had painted the

lower part of their faces perfect black.

The other opportunity I had of observing these ceremonies was in the

case of an ordinary person, when, on hearing some mournful female cries

issue from a miserable-looking hut, I ventured into it, and found an old

woman with her daughter weeping over the body of an elderly man who had

but just expired, being still warm. The first step they took was to

cover the body with cloth, after which, lying down by it, they drew the

cloth over themselves, and then began a mournful kind of song,

frequently repeating, _Aweh medoaah!_ _Aweh tanee!_ Oh my father! Oh my

husband! A younger daughter was also at the same time lying prostrate in

a corner of the house, covered over with black cloth, repeating the same

words. On leaving this melancholy scene, I found at the door a number of

their neighbours collected together, and listening to their cries with

profound silence. I was resolved not to miss this opportunity of seeing

in what manner they dispose of the body; and therefore, after satisfying

myself before I went to bed that it was not then removed, I gave orders

that the sentries should walk backward and forward before the house, and

in case they suspected any measures were taking for the removal of the

body, to give me immediate notice. However, the sentries had not kept a

good look-out, for in the morning I found the body was gone. On

inquiring what they had done with it? they pointed toward the sea,

indicating most probably thereby that it had been committed to the deep,

or perhaps that it had been carried beyond the bay, to some

burying-ground in another part of the country. The chiefs are interred

in the _Morais_, or _Heree-erees_, with the men sacrificed on the

occasion by the side of them; and we observed that the _Morai_ where the

chief had been buried, who, as I have already mentioned, was killed in

the cave after so stout a resistance, was hung round with red cloth.