60 cook's voyage to SEPT. 



obliged to decline it. Desirous, however, of knowing 

 what ceremonies might be observed on so memorable 

 an occasion, I sent Mr. King and Omai,and returned 

 on board my ship, attended by Otoo's mother, 

 his three sisters, and eight more women. At first I 

 thought that this numerous train of females came 

 into my boat with no other view than to get a passage 

 to Matavai. But when we arrived at the ship, they 

 told me, they intended passing the night on board, 

 for the express purpose of undertaking the cure of 

 the disorder I complained of; which was a pain of 

 the rheumatic kind, extending from the hip to the 

 foot. I accepted the friendly offer, had a bed spread 

 for them upon the cabin floor, and submitted myself 

 to their directions. I was desired to lay myself down 

 amongst them. Then, as many of them as could get 

 round me, began to squeeze me with both hands, 

 from head to foot, but more particularly on the parts 

 where the pain was lodged, till they made my bones 

 crack, and my flesh became a perfect mummy. In 

 short, after undergoing this discipline about a quarter 

 of an hour, I was glad to get away from them. How- 

 ever, the operation gave me immediate relief, which 

 encouraged me to submit to another rubbing-down 

 before I went to bed ; and it was so effectual, that I 

 found myself pretty easy all the night after. My fe- 

 male physicians repeated their prescription the next 

 morning, before they went ashore, and again, in the 

 evening, when they returned on board ; after which, 

 I found the pains entirely removed ; and the cure 

 being perfected, they took their leave of me the 

 following morning. This they call romee ; an oper- 

 ation which, in my opinion, far exceeds the flesh- 

 brush, or any thing of the kind that we make use of 

 externally. It is universally practised amongst these 

 islanders ; being sometimes performed by the men, 

 but more generally by the women. If, at any time, 

 one appears languid and tired, and sits down by any 

 one of them, they immediately begin to practise the 



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