230 cook's SECOND VOYAGE OCT. 



vessels ; but as it was sweet and cool, I had no doubt 

 of its being taken up upon the island, and, probably, 

 not far from the spot where I saw it. 



So little do we know of their religion, that I hardly 

 dare mention it. The buildings called Afiatoucas, 

 before mentioned, are undoubtedly set apart for this 

 purpose. Some of our gentlemen were of opinion, 

 that they were merely burying-places. I can only 

 say, from my own knowledge, that they are places to 

 which particular persons directed set speeches, which 

 I understood to be prayers, as hath been already re- 

 lated. Joining my opinion with that of others, I was 

 inclined to think that they are set apart to be both 

 temples and burying-places, as at Otaheite, or even 

 in Europe. But I have no idea of the images being 

 idols ; not only from what I saw myself, but from Mr. 

 Wales's informing me that they set one of them up, 

 for him and others to shoot at. 



One circumstance showed that these Afiatoucas 

 were frequently resorted to, for one purpose or other ; 

 the areas, or open places, before them, being covered 

 with a green sod, the grass on which was very short. 

 This did not appear to have been cut, or reduced by 

 the hand of man, but to have been prevented in its 

 growth by being often trod, or sat upon. 



It cannot be supposed that we could know much, 

 either of their civil or religious policy, in so short a 

 time as four or five days, especially as we understood 

 but little of their language : even the two islanders 

 we had on board could not at first understand them ; 

 and yet as we became the more acquainted with them, 

 we found their language was nearly the same spoken 

 at Otaheite and the Society Isles. The difference 

 not being greater than what we find betwixt the most 

 northern and western parts of England, as will more 

 fully appear by the vocabulary. 



