38 cook's voyage to sept. 



bruised upon the right temple ; which marked the 

 manner of his being killed. And we were told, that 

 he had been privately knocked on the head with a 

 stone. 



Those who are devoted to suffer, in order to per- 

 form this bloody act df worship, are never apprized of 

 their fate till the blow is given that puts an end to 

 their existence. Whenever any one of the great chiefs 

 thinks a human sacrifice necessary on any particular 

 emergency, he pitches upon the victim. Some of 

 his trusty servants are then sent, who fall upon him 

 suddenly, and put him to death with a club or by 

 stoning him. The king is next acquainted with it, 

 whose presence at the solemn rites that follow is, as 

 I was told, absolutely necessary ; and, indeed, on 

 the present occasion, we could observe that Otoo 

 bore a principal part. The solemnity itself is called 

 Poore Eree, or chief's prayer ; and the victim who 

 is offered up Taata-taboo, or consecrated man. This 

 is the only instance where we have heard the word 

 taboo used at this island, where it seems to have the 

 same mysterious signification as at Tonga, though it 

 is there applied to all cases where things are not to 

 be touched. But at Otaheite, the word raa serves 

 the same purpose, and is full as extensive in its 

 meaning. 



The moral (which, undoubtedly, is a place of wor- 

 ship, sacrifice, and burial, at the same time), where 

 the sacrifice was now offered, is that where the 

 supreme chief of the whole island is always buried, 

 and is appropriated to his family and some of 

 the principal people. It differs little from the com- 

 mon ones, except in extent. Its principal part is a 

 large oblong, pile of stones, lying loosely upon each 

 other, about twelve or fourteen feet high, contracted 

 towards the top, with a square area on each side 

 loosely paved with pebble stones, under which the 

 bones of the chiefs are buried. At a little distance 

 from the end nearest the sea, is the place where the 



