2i8 AVOYAGETO 



'778- a dozen circuits before the other had finiflied his oraifon. 



Ftbruary. 



This ceremony being performed, we proceeded ; and, pre- 

 fently, met people coming from all parts, who, on being 

 called to by my attendants, threw themfclves proftrate on 

 their faces, till I was out of light. The ground, through 

 which I pafTed, was in a flate of nature, very flony, and 

 the foil fcemed poor, it was, however, covered with flirubs 

 and plants, fome of which perfumed the air, with a more 

 delicious fragrancy than I had met with at any other of the 

 illands vifited by us in this ocean. Our people, who had 

 been obliged to remain fo long on fliore, gave me the fame 

 account of thofe parts of the ifland which they had traverfed. 

 They met with feveral fait ponds, fome of which had a little 

 water remaining, but others had none; and the fait that 

 was left in them was fo thin, that no great quantity could 

 have been procured. There was no appearance of any run- 

 ning ftream ; and though they found fome fmall wells, in 

 which the frefli water was tolerably good, it feemed fcarce. 

 The habitations of the natives were thinly fcattered about ; 

 and it was fuppofed, that there could not be more than five 

 hundred people upon the ifland, as the greatefl part were 

 feen at the marketing-place of our party, and few found 

 about the houfes by thofe who walked up the country. They 

 had an opportunity of obferving the method of living 

 amongfl: the natives, and it appeared to be decent and 

 cleanly. They did not, however, fee any inftance of the 

 men and women eating together; and the latter feemed ge- 

 nerally afTociated in companies by themfelves. It was 

 found, that they burnt here the oily nuts of the dooe dooe for 

 lights in the night, as at Otaheite ; and that they baked 

 their hogs in ovens ; but, contrary to the pracliice of the So- 

 ciety and Friendly Illands, fplit the carcafcs through their 



whole 



