378 cook's first voyage jan. 



and thrown it into the sea, which stone, they sup- 

 posed, had, by some accident, been disengaged. 



This family, when we came on shore, was em- 

 ployed in dressing some provisions : the body of a 

 dog was at this time buried in their oven, and many 

 provision-baskets stood near it. Having cast our 

 eyes carelessly into one of these, as we passed it, we 

 saw two bones pretty cleanly picked, which did not 

 seem to be the bones of a dog, and which, upon a 

 nearer examination, we discovered to be those of a 

 human body. At this sight we were struck with 

 horror, though it was only a confirmation of what we 

 had heard many times since we arrived upon this 

 coast. As we could have no doubt but the bones 

 were human, neither could we have any doubt but 

 that the flesh which covered them had been eaten. 

 They were found in a provision basket ; the flesh 

 that remained appeared manifestly to have been 

 dressed by fire, and in the gristles at the end, were 

 the marks of the teeth which had gnawed them : to 

 put an end, however, to conjecture, founded upon 

 circumstances and appearances, we directed Tupia 

 to ask what bones they were ; and the Indians, with- 

 out the least hesitation, answered, the bones of a 

 man : they were then asked what was become of the 

 flesh, and they replied that they had eaten it; but, said 

 Tupia, why did you not eat the body of the woman 

 which we saw floating upon the water ; the woman, 

 said they, died of disease ; besides, she was our rela- 

 tion, and we eat only the bodies of our enemies, who 

 are killed in battle. Upon enquiry who the man was 

 whose bones we had found, they told us, that about 

 ^ve days before, a boat belonging to their enemies 

 came into the bay, with many persons on board, and 

 that this man was of the seven whom they had 

 killed. Though stronger evidence of this horrid 

 practice prevailing among the inhabitants of this 

 coast will scarcely be required, we have still stronger 

 to give. One of us asked if they had any human 



