^14 



A VOYAGE TO 



January 



1778- US a formal vifit. Many of them came readily on board, 

 crouching down upon the deck, and not quitting that 

 humble poflure, till they were defired to get up. They 

 had brought feveral females with them, who remained 

 along fule in the canoes, behaving with far lefs modcfty 

 than their countrywomen of Atooi ; and, at times, all join- 

 ing in a fong, not remarkable for its melody, though per- 

 formed in very exac^ concert, by beating time upon their 

 breails with their hands. The men who had come on board 

 did not Hay long; and before they departed, fome of them 

 requefted our permiffion to lay down, on the deck, locks of 

 their hair. 



Thefe vifiters furniflied us with an opportunity of agitat- 

 ing again, this day, the curious inquiry, whether they were 

 cannibals ; and the fubje^l did not take its rife from any 

 queftions of ours, but from a circumftance that fecmed to 

 remove all ambiguity. One of the iflandcrs, who wanted to 

 get in at the gun-room port, was refufed ; and, at the fame 

 time, afked, whether, if he fliould come in, we would kill 

 and eat him? accompanying this queftion with figns fo ex- 

 prefljve, that there could be no doubt about his meaning. 

 This gave a proper opening to retort the quellion as to this 

 pra6lice ; and a perfon bcliind the other, in the canoe, who 

 paid great attention to what was pading, immediately an- 

 fwered, that if we were killed on fliore, they would cer- 

 tainly eat us. He fpokc with fo little emotion, that it ap- 

 peared plainly to be his meaning, that they would not dc- 

 flroy us for that purpofe ; but that their eating us would 

 b.e the confequence of our being at enmity with them. I 

 have availed myfelf of Mr. Anderfon's colleflions for the 

 xlccifion of this matter; and am forry to fay, that I cannot 

 fee the lead rcafon'to hcfitate in pronouncing it to be cer- 

 tain, 



