T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 249 



thouffh the bones are afterward buried ; and, as this is the ^V^s- 



^ February. 



cafe, it is very remarkable, that they fhould inter the entire 

 bodies of their human facrifices. They alfo offer other 

 animals, and vegetables, to their gods ; but are, by no 

 means, attentive to the ftate of the facred places, where thofe 

 folemn rites are performed ; moft of their Morals being in a 

 ruinous condition, and bearing evident marks of negledl. 

 The people of Atooi, again, inter both their common dead, 

 and human facrifices, as at Tongataboo; but they refemblc 

 thofe of Otaheite, in the flovenly ftate of their religious 

 places, and in offering vegetables and animals to their 

 gods. 



The taboo alfo prevails in Atooi, in its full extent, and 

 feemingly with much more rigour than even at Tongataboo. 

 For the people here always aflccd, with great eagcrncfs and 

 figns of fear to offend, whether any particular thing, which 

 they defired to fee, or we were unwilHng to fliew, was talooy 

 or, as they pronounced the word, tafoo? The viaia, raii, or 

 forbidden articles at the Society Iflands, though, doubtlefs, 

 the fame thing, did not feem to be fo flricTily obfcrved by 

 them, except with refpecSt to the dead, about whom we 

 thought them more fuperflitious than any of the others were. 

 But thefe are circumftances with which we are nor, as yet, 

 fufficiently acquainted, to be decifive about; and I fliall only 

 juft obferve, to fhew the fimilitude in other matters, connected 

 with religion, that the priefts, or tahounas^ here, are as nu- 

 merous as at the other iilands ; if we may judge, from our 

 being able, during our fliort ftay, to diftinguifli feveral, fay- 

 ing their foore^ or prayer. 



But whatever refemblance we might difcover, in the gene- 

 ral manners of the people of Atooi, to thofe of Otaheite, thele, 

 Vol. II. K k of 



