SOO FROM THE ST. LAWRENCE ISLANDS 



flicted. The chief persons intoxicate themselves 

 oftener with rum, which they procure from the 

 Americans. Since the Europeans have introduced 

 the use of brandy and tobacco, and brought at the 

 same time many bad disorders, the population 

 has visibly decreased. Many fields also lie uncul- 

 tivated, as the inhabitants are obliged to fell 

 sanders-wood. On my way to the plantations, I 

 was met by two boys, carrying large bundles of 

 banana, and stopping at every hundred steps to 

 make the people present aware of their coming by 

 a loud cry. The men immediately threw them- 

 selves on the ground, covering their faces with 

 both hands, and did not rise till the boys had 

 passed ; of the women more was required, for they 

 were obliged to undress on seeing the boys. I 

 was told, this evening, a very important taboo 

 began ; the bananas were carried into the moral, 

 where they were offered to the gods, and therefore 

 this submission must be shown to the bearers of the 

 holy fruit. Soon after I went to the house of a dis- 

 tinguished chief, an acquaintance of mine, who was 

 sitting with several others before the door waiting 

 for the sun setting to go to the morai ; he saluted 

 me in a friendly manner, but warned me not to 

 touch him, as I should thus become taboOy and 

 must go into the morai. During this dangerous 

 time the women are not allowed to be seen by their 

 husbands, and should one commit the crime of 

 touching him, she must atone for it with her life. 



