.ID A V O Y A G E T O 



1777 

 July 



lu^r ^^^^ ^^^^ ^' '^"^^^ rema. Taboo, in general, fignifies forbidden j, 

 and rema is their word for hand. 



When the taboo is incurred, by paying obeifance to a great 

 perfonage, it is thus eafily wallied oiF. But, in fome other 

 cafes, it muft necefTarily continue for a certain time. We 

 have frequently feen women, who have been taboo rema, fed 

 by others. At the expiration of the time, the interdicfted 

 perfon waflies herfelf in one of their baths, which are dirty 

 holes, for the moft part, of brackilli water. She then waits 

 upon the king, and, after making her obeifance in the ufual 

 way, lays hold of his foot, and applies it to her breaft, 

 llioulders, and other parts of her body. He then embraces 

 her on each fhoulder ; after which Ihe retires, purified from, 

 her uncleannefs. I do not know, that it is always neceflary 

 to come to the king for this purpofe ; though Omai afRired 

 me it was. If this be fo, it may be one reafon why he is, 

 for the moft parr, travelling from illand to ifland. I faw 

 this ceremony performed, by him, two or three times ; and 

 once by Feenou, to one of his own women; but as Omai 

 was not then with me, I could not afk the occafion. 



Taboo, as I have before obferved, is a word of an extenfive 

 fignification. Human facrifices are called tangata taboo; and 

 when any thing is forbidden to be eat, or made ufe of, they 

 fay, that it is taboo. 1 hey tell us, that, if the king fliould 

 happen to go into a houfe belonging to a fubjedlr, that houfe 

 would be taboo, and could never more be inhabited by the 

 owner; fo that, wherever he travels, there are particular 

 houfes for his reception. Old Toobou, at this time, pre- 

 lided over the taboo ; that is, if Omai comprehended the 

 matter rightly, he and his deputies infpecTred all the pro- 

 duce ot the ifland ; taking care that every man fliould cul- 



a tivate 



