202 cook's voyage to feb. 



lives were thinly scattered about ; and, it was sup- 

 posed, that there could not be more than five hundred 

 people upon the island, as the greatest part were seen 

 at the marketing-place of our party, and few found 

 about the houses by those who walked up the country. 

 They had an opportunity of observing the method 

 of living amongst the natives, and it appeared to be 

 decent and cleanly. They did not, however, see any 

 instance of the men and women eating together ; and 

 the latter seemed generally associated in companies 

 by themselves. It was found, that they burnt here the 

 oily nuts of the doee dooe for lights in the night, as 

 at Otaheite ; and that they baked their hogs in ovens ; 

 but, contrary to the practice of the Society and 

 Friendly Islands, split their carcases through their 

 whole length. They met with a positive proof of the 

 existence of the taboo (or as they pronounce it, the 

 tqfoo), for one woman fed another who was under that 

 interdiction. They also observed some other mys- 

 terious ceremonies ; one of which was performed by 

 a woman, who took a small pig, and threw it into 

 the surf, till it was drowned, and then tied up a 

 bundle of wood, which she also disposed of in the 

 same manner. The same woman, at another time, 

 beat with a stick upon a man's shoulders, who sat 

 down for that purpose. A particular veneration 

 seemed to be paid here to owls, which they have very 

 tame ; and it was observed to be a pretty general 

 practice amongst them, to pull out one of their * teeth ; 

 for which old custom, when asked the reason, the 

 only answer that could be got was, that it was teeha, 

 which was also the reason assigned for another of 

 their practices, the giving a lock of their hair. 

 After the water -casks had been filled and con- 



* It is very remarkable, that, in this custom, which one would 

 think is so unnatural, as not to be adopted by two different tribes, 

 originally unconnected, the people of this island, and Dampier's na- 

 tives on the west side of New Holland, at such an immense distance, 

 should be found to agree. 



