198 cook's voyage to .tan. 



and, at times, all joining in a song, not remarkable 

 for its melody, though performed in very exact con- 

 cert, by beating time upon their breasts with their 

 hands. The men who had come on board did not 

 stay long ; and before they departed, some of them 

 requested our permission to lay down, on the deck, 

 locks of their hair. 



These visitors furnished us with an opportunity of 

 agitating again, this day, the curious inquiry whether 

 they were cannibals ; and the subject did not take 

 its rise from any question of ours, but from a cir- 

 cumstance that seemed to remove all ambiguity. 

 One of the islanders, who wanted to get in at the 

 gun-room port, was refused ; and, at the same time, 

 asked, whether, if he should come in, we would 

 kill and eat him ? accompanying this question with 

 signs so expressive that there could be no doubt 

 about his meaning. This gave a proper opening to 

 retort the question as to this practice ; and a person 

 behind the other, in the canoe, who paid great at- 

 tention to what was passing, immediately answered, 

 that if we were killed on shore, they would certainly 

 eat us. He spoke with so little emotion, that it ap- 

 peared plainly to be his meaning, that they would 

 not destroy us for that purpose ; but that their eating 

 us would be the consequence of our being at enmity 

 with them. I have availed myself of Mr. Anderson's 

 collections for the decision of this matter ; and am 

 sorry to say, that I cannot see the least reason to he- 

 sitate in pronouncing it to be certain, that the horrid 

 banquet of human flesh is as much relished here, 

 amidst plenty, as it is in New Zealand. 



In the afternoon I sent lieutenant Gore, with three 

 armed boats, to look for the most convenient landing- 

 place ; and, when on shore, to search for fresh water. 

 In the evening he returned, having landed at the 

 village above mentioned, and acquainted me, that he 

 had been conducted to a well half a mile up the coun- 

 try - y but, by his account, the quantity of water it 



