454 cook's voyage to july, 



the thigh, into their sides below the arm-pits, and 

 through the cheeks into the mouth. All these oper- 

 ations convey an idea of such rigorous discipline, 

 as must require either an uncommon degree of 

 affection or the grossest superstition, to exact. I 

 will not say that the last has no share in it; for, 

 sometimes, it is so universal, that many could not 

 have arty knowledge of the person for whom the 

 concern is expressed. Thus we saw the people of 

 Tongataboo mourning the death of a chief at Va- 

 vaoo; and other similar instances occurred during 

 our stay. It should be observed, however, that the 

 more painful operations are only practised on ac- 

 count of the death of those most nearly connected 

 with the mourners. When a person dies, he is 

 buried, after being wrapped up in mats and cloth, 

 much after our manner. The chiefs seem to have 

 the Jiatookas appropriated to them as their burial- 

 places; but the common people are interred in no 

 particular spot.* What part of the mourning cere- 

 mony follows immediately after, is uncertain; but, 

 that there is something besides the general one, 

 which is continued for a considerable length of 

 time, we could infer, from being informed, that the 

 funeral of Mareewagee's wife, as mentioned before, 

 was to be attended with ceremonies that were to last 

 five days ; and in which all the principal people were 

 to commemorate her. 



Their long and general mourning, proves that 

 they consider death as a very great evil. And this 

 is confirmed by a very odd custom which they 

 practise to avert it. When I first visited these 



* Cantova's account of the practice of the Caroline Islands is 

 as follows: " Lorsqu'il meurt, quelque personne d'un rang distingu, 

 ou qui leur est chere par d'autres endroits, ses obseques se font 

 avec pompe. II y en a qui renferment le corps du defunct dans 

 un petit Edifice de pierre, qu'ils gardent au-dedans de leurs mai- 

 sons. D'autres les enterrent loin de leurs habitations." 



Lettres Edijiantcs et Curicnses* torn. xv. p. 308, 309. 



