THIRD VOYAGE 



to the share of the lower class of people ; and then it is 

 either fish, sea-eggs, or other marine productions, for they 

 seldom or never eat pork. The Eree alone, is able to 

 furnish pork every day ; and inferior chiefs, according to 

 their riches, once a week, fortnight, or month. 



" It is also amongst the better sort that the ava is 

 chiefly used. But this beverage is prepared somewhat 

 differently from that which we saw so much of at the 

 Friendly Islands. They pour a very small quantity of 

 water upon the root here ; and sometimes roast or bake, 

 and bruise the stalks without chewing it previously to 

 its infusion. But its pernicious effects are very obvious ; 

 perhaps owing to the manner of preparing it, as we often 

 saw instances of its intoxicating, or rather stupefying, 

 powers. As an excuse for a practice so destructive, they 

 allege that it is adopted to prevent their growing too 

 fat ; but it evidently enervates them, and in all prob- 

 ability shortens their days. 



" The times of eating at Otaheite are very frequent. 

 Their first meal is about two o'clock in the morning, after 

 which they go to sleep ; and the next is at eight. At 

 eleven they dine, and again at two and at five, and sup 

 at eight. The women have not only the mortification 

 of being obliged to eat by themselves, and in a different 

 part of the house from the men, but by a strange kind of 

 policy, are excluded from a share of most of the better 

 sorts of food. The women generally serve up their own 

 victuals, for they would certainly starve before any grown 

 man would do them such an office. When we inquired 

 into the reasons of it, we could get no other answer but 

 that it is right and necessary that it should be so. 



" The women, indeed, are often treated with a degree 

 of harshness or rather brutality, which one would scarcely 

 suppose a man would bestow on an object for whom he 

 had the least affection. Nothing, however, is more common 

 than to see the men beat them without mercy ; and unless 

 this treatment is the effect of jealousy, which both sexes 

 at least pretend to be sometimes infected with, it will be 

 difficult to account for it. 



" Their religious system is extensive, and in many in- 

 stances singular, but few of the common people have a 

 perfect knowledge of it, that being confined chiefly to 

 their priests, who are pretty numerous. They do not seem 

 to pay respect to one god, as possessing pre-eminence, 

 but believe in a plurality of divinities, who are all very 

 powerful. 



" Their assiduity in serving their gods is remarkably 

 conspicuous. Not only the whattas, or offering places of 



