44 



A VOYAGE TO 



>777' our late voyages have enabled us to trace, between the moft 

 ^ptemjr. ^j^^^^^^ ^£ ^.j^^^^ iflancls, makes it not unlikely, that fome of 



the more important articles of their religious inftitutions 

 fliould agree. And, indeed, we had the moft authentic in- 

 formation, that human facrifices continue to be ofiered at 

 the Friendly Iflands. When I dcfcribed the Natche at Tonga- 

 taboo, I mentioned that, on the approaching fequel of that 

 feftival, we had been told, that ten men were to be facri- 

 ficcd. This may give us an idea of the extent of this reli- 

 gious maflacre, in that ifland. And though we fliould fup- 

 pofe, that never more than one perfon is facrificcd, on any 

 finglc occafion, at Oraheite, it is more than probable, that 

 thefe occafions happen fo frequently, as to make a fhocking 

 wafte of the human race; for I counted no lefs than forty- 

 nine flculls, of former vidlims, lying before the moral, where 

 we faw one more added to the number. And as none of 

 thofe fkulls had, as yet, fuffered any confiderable change 

 from the weather, it may hence be inferred, that no great 

 length of time had clapfed, fincc, at Icaft, this confiderable 

 number of unhappy wretches had been oflcred upon this 

 alrar of blood. 



The cuftom, though no confidcration can make it ccafe 

 to be abominable, might be thought Icfs detrimental, in 

 fome rcfpeds, if it fcrved to imprefs any awe for the divi- 

 nity, or reverence for religion, upon the minds of the mul- 

 titude. But this is fo far from being the cafe, that though 

 a great number of people had aflemblcd at the juorai, on 

 this occafion, they did not feem to flicw any proper reve- 

 rence for what was doing, or faying, during the celebration 

 of the rites. And Omai liappcning to arrive, after they 

 had begun, many of the fpeJtators flocked round him, and 

 were engaged, the remainder of the time, in making him 



relate 



