44 



A VOYAGE TO 



'777- to their (rod, as they now have of feeding, corporeally, on 



September. o ■/ a i j 



human llefli themfclves. And, yet, we have great reafoa 

 to believe, that there was a time when they were cannibals. 

 We were told (and indeed partly faw it), that it is a necef- 

 fary ceremony, when a poor wretch is facrificed, for the 

 pried to take out the left eye. This he prefents to the king, 

 holding it to his mouth, which he defires him to open ; but, 

 inflcad of putting it in, immediately withdraws it. This 

 they call " eating the man," or " food for the Chief;" and, 

 perhaps, we may obferve here fome traces of former times». 

 when the dead body was really feafled upon. 



But not to infill: upon this ; it is certain, that human fa- 

 crifices are not the only barbarous cuflom we find flill pre- 

 vailing amongft this benevolent, humane people. For, be- 

 fides cutting out the jaw-bones of their enemies flain in 

 battle, which they carry about as trophies, they, in fome 

 meafurc, offer their bodies as a facrifice to the Eatooa. Soon 

 after a battle, in which they have been vidlors, they colleft 

 all the dead that have fallen into their hands, and bring 

 them to the nwraiy where, with a great deal of ceremony, 

 they dig a hole, and bury them all in it, as fo many offer- 

 ings to the gods ; but their fculls are never after taken up. 



Their own great Chiefs, that fall in battle, are treated in 

 a dififerent manner. We were informed, that their Ifttc 

 king Tootaha, Tubourai-tamaide, and another Chief, who 

 .fell with them in the battle, fought with thofe of Tiaraboo, 

 and were brought to this 7iiorai^ at Attahooroo. There their 

 bowels were cut out by the priefts, before the great altar j 

 and the bodies afterward buried in three difiTcrent places, 

 which were pointed out to us, in the great pile of Hones, 

 that compofc the mod confpicuous part of this morai. And 

 their common men, who alfo fell in tliis battle, were all 

 4 buried 



