174 A V O Y A G E T O 



'777- Feejee, as we were told, lies three days fail from Tonga- 



taboo, in the direction of North Weft bv Weft. It was de- 

 fcribed to us as a high, but very fruitful ifland ; abounding 

 with hogs, dogs, fowls, and all the kinds of fruit and roots 

 that are found in any of the others ; and as much larger 

 than Tongataboo ; to the dominion of which, as was re- 

 prefented to us, it is not fubjecft, as the other iflands of this 

 archipelago are. On the contrary, Feejee and Tongataboo 

 frequently make war upon each other. And it appeared, 

 from feveral circumftances, that the inhabitants of the lat- 

 ter are much afraid of this enemy. They ufed to exprefs 

 their fenfe of their own inferiority to the Feejee men, by 

 bending the body forward, and covering the face with their 

 hands. And it is no wonder, that they fliould be under 

 this dread; for thofe of Feejee are formidable on account: 

 of the dexterity with which they ufe their bows and flings ; 

 "but much more fo, on account of tlie favage pratflice to 

 which they are addided, Hke thofe of New Zealand, of 

 mating their enemies, whom they kill in battle. We were 

 fatisfied, that this was not a mifrcprefentation. For we met 

 with feveral Feejee people at Tongataboo, and, on inquir-r 

 ingof them, they did not deny the charge. 



Now, that I am again led to fpeak of cannibals, let me 

 afk thofe who maintain, that the want of food firft brings 

 jnen to feed on human fiefli, What is it that induceth tlic 



.diftinguifli their principal men. We have, in two preceding notes, infertcd paRages 

 from Father Cantova's account of thern, where xh€\x Tamdes are fpolcsn of; and he 

 repeats the word at Icail a dozen times, in the courfe of a few pages. But I cannot 

 avoid tranfcribing, from him, the following very decifive teltimony, which renders 

 any other quotation fuperfluous. " L'autoritic du Goiiverneraent fe par;age cntre 

 " pluf:eurs families nobles, dont ies Chefs s'appellent Tamsles. II y a outre cela, 

 " dans chaque province, un principale Tawole, auquel tous ies autres font foumis.", 



Lettrcs EdlfianUs ^ Cur'wufcs, Tom. xv. p. 312. 



q Feejee 



