THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 127 



evident from the cafes of Terreeoboo, Kaoo, and fome other w* 



March. 



Chiefs, who were very old men ; yet it invariably brings on v t — ^ 



an early and decrepid old age. It is fortunate, that the ufe 

 of it is made one of the peculiar privileges of the Chiefs. 

 The young fon of Terreeoboo, who was about twelve years 

 old, ufed to boaft of his being admitted to drink ava, and 

 mewed us, with great triumph, a final! fpot in his fide that 

 was growing fcaly. 



There is fomething very Angular in the hiflory of this 

 pernicious drug. When Captain Cook firft vifited the So- 

 ciety Iflands, it was very little known among them. On 

 his fecond voyage, he found the ufe of it vety prevalent at 

 Ulietea ; but it had ftill gained very little ground at 

 Otaheite. When we were laft there, the dreadful havock 

 it had made was beyond belief, infomuch that the Cap- 

 tain fcarce knew many of his old acquaintances. At 

 the Friendly Iflands, it is alfo conftantly drunk by the 

 Chiefs, but fo much diluted with water, that it docs not 

 appear to produce any bad effects. At Atooi, alfo, it is 

 ufed with great moderation, and the Chiefs are, in confe- 

 quence, a much finer fet of men there, than in any of the 

 neighbouring iflands. We remarked, that, by difcontinu- 

 ing the ufe of this root, the noxious effects of "it foon 

 wore off. Our good friends, Kaireekeea and old Kaoo, 

 were perfuaded by us to refrain from it; and they recovered 

 amazingly during the fhort time we afterward remained in 

 the ifland. 



It may be thought extremely difficult to form any pro- 

 bable conjectures refpeeting the population of iflands, 

 with many parts of which we are but imperfectly ac- 

 2 quainted. 



