176 A V O Y A G E T O 



^>77f' are alfo fcveral low iflands, to the North Eaftward of Ota- 

 December. 



^— — V — -/ heite, which they have fometimes vifited, but not conftant- 

 ly ; and are faid to be only at the diftance of two days fail 

 with a fair wind. They were thus named to me : 



Mataeeva, 



^ f called Oannah in Dalrymple's Letter to 



Oanaa, < , ,- , 



C Hawkcfworth. 



Taboohoe, 



Awehee, 



Kaoora, 



Orootooa, 



•Otavaoo, where are large pearls. 



The inhabitants of thefe ifles come more frequently to 

 'Otaheitc, and the other neighbouring high illands, from 

 whofe natives they differ in being of a darker colour, with 

 a fiercer afpecfl, and differently pun<5lured. I was informed, 

 that at Mataeeva, and others of them, it is a cuftomfor the 

 men to give their daughters to flrangcrs who arrive amongft 

 them ; but the pairs muft be five nights lying near each 

 other, without prefuming to proceed farther. On the lixth 

 evening, the father of the young woman treats his gueft 

 with food, and informs his daughter, that flie muft, that 

 night, receive him as her huffDand. The ftrangcr, how- 

 ever, muft not offer to exprcfs the Icaft diffike, though the 

 bed-fellow allotted to him Ihould be ever fo difagreeable ; 

 for this is confidcred as an unpardonable aff'ront, and is 

 puniflicd with death. Forty men of Bolabola, who, in- 

 cited by curiofity, had roamed as far as Mataeeva in a 

 canoe, were treated in tliis manner ; one of them having 

 incautioully mentioned his diffike of the woman who fell 

 10 his lot, in the hearing of a boy who informed her fa- 

 ther. 



