148 cook's voyage to dec. 



As in such a life, their women must contribute a 

 very large share of its happines, it is rather surprising, 



2. Numberless instances occur in Captain Cook's voyage to prove 

 the great subjection under which the people of his islands are to 

 their chiefs. We learn from Le Gobien, that it is so also at the 

 Ladrones. La noblesse est d'unjierte incroyable, fy tient lepeuple dans 

 un abaisement qu'on ne ponrroit imaginer en Europe, &c. 3. The 

 diversions of the natives at Wateeoo, the Friendly, and the Society 

 Islands, have been copiously described by Captain Cook. How 

 similar are those which Le Gobien mentions in the following words, 

 as prevailing at the Ladrones? lis se divertissent a danser, courir, 

 sautir, hitter, pour s'exercer, fy eprouver leursforces. lis prenneni 

 errand plaisir a raconter les avaniures de tears ancetrcs, Sf a reciter 

 des vers de tears po'e'tes. 4. The principal share sustained by the 

 women in the entertainments at Captain Cook's islands, appears 

 sufficiently from a variety of instances in this work ; and we can- 

 not read what Le Gobien says of the practice at the Ladrones, 



without tracing the strongest resemblance Dansleurs assemblies 



elles se mettent douze ou treizejemmes en rond, debout, sans se re- 

 muer. Dans cette attitude elles chantent les vers Jubuleux de leurs 

 po'etes avec un agrement, 8f unc justesse qui plairoit en Europe. 

 L y accord de leur voix est admirable, Sf ne cede en rien a la musique 

 concertee. Elles out dans les mains de petits coquilles, dont elles se 

 servent avec beaucoup de precision. Elles soutiennent leur voix, Sf 

 animent leur chants, avec une action si vive, fy des gestes si expres- 

 sives, qu elles charment ceux qui les voient, fy qui les e?itcndent. 

 5. We read, in Havvkesworth's account of Captain Cook's first 

 vogage, vol. ii. p. 235. that garlands of the fruit of the palm-tree 

 and cocoa-leaves, with other things particularly consecrated to fu- 

 neral solemnities, are deposited about the places where they lay their 

 dead ; and that provisions and water are also left at a little distance. 

 How conformable to this is the practice at the Ladrones, as de- 

 scribed by Le Gobien ! Us font quelques repas autour du tombeau; 

 car on en eleve toujour s un sur le lieu ou le corps est enterre, oudans 

 le voisinage ; on le charge dejleurs, de branches de palmier s, de co- 

 quillages, 8$ de tout ce qu Us out de plus precieux. 6. It is the 

 custom at Otaheite [See Hawkesworth, vol. ii. p. 236] not to bury 

 the sculls of the chiefs with the rest of the bones, but to put them 

 into boxes made for that purpose. Here again, we find the same 

 strange custom prevailing at the Ladrones; for Le Gobien expressly 

 tells us, quits gardent les cranes en leur maisons, that they put 

 these sculls into little baskets (petites corbeilles) ; and that these 

 dead chiefs are the Anitis to whom their priests address their in- 

 vocations. 7. The people of Otaheite, as we learn from Captain 

 Cook, in his account of Tee's embalmed corpse, make use of co- 

 eoa-nut oil, and other ingredients, in rubbing the dead bodies. 



