204 - A V O Y A G E T O 



1777. iflanders, their method of treating ilrangers, and their ge- 

 neral habirs of life, are much Hke thofe that prevail at 

 Otaheite, and its neighbouring ifles. Their religious cere- 

 monies and opinions are alfo nearly the fame. For, upon 

 feeing one man, who was painted all over of a deep black 

 colour, and inquiring the reafon, our gentlemen were told, 

 that he had lately been paying the laft good offices to a de- 

 ceafed friend; and they found, that it was upon fimilar 

 occafions, the women cut themfelves, as already mentioned. 

 From every circumflance, indeed, it is indubitable, that the 

 natives of Wateeoo fprung, originally, from the fame ftock, 

 which hath fpread itfelf fo wonderfully all over the im- 

 menfe extent of the South Sea. One would fuppofe, how- 

 ever, that they put in their claim to a more illuftrious ex- 

 tradlion ; for Omai afTured us, that they dignified their 

 ifland with the appellation of E^efiooa no te Ealooa, that is, A 

 land of gods ; efteeming themfelves a fort of divinities, 

 and poffefTed with the fpirit of the Eatooa. This wild en- 

 thufiallic notion Omai feemed much to approve of, telling 

 us there were inftances of its being entertained at Otaheite; 

 but that it was univerfally prevalent amongft the inhabit- 

 ants of Mataia, or Ofnaburg Ifland. 



The language fpoken at Wateeoo was equally well un- 

 derftood by Omai, and by our two New Zealanders. What 

 its peculiarities may be, when compared with the other 

 diale6ls, I am not able to point out ; for, though Mr. An- 

 derfon had taken care to note down a fpecimen of it, the 

 natives, who made no diflin(5lion of the objetfts of thei? 

 theft, ftole the memorandum book. 



CHAP. 



