410 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



their sacred songs, all of which they have in common with 

 each other, are convincing proofs that their religious 

 notions are derived from the same source. 



" It has been mentioned that the title of Orona, with 

 all its honours, was given to Captain Cook ; and it is also 

 certain that they regarded us generally as a race of people 

 superior to themselves, and used often to say that the great 

 Eatooa dwelled in our country. 



" Human sacrifices are more frequent here, according to 

 the account of the natives themselves, than in any other 

 islands we visited. These horrid rites are not only had 

 recourse to upon the commencement ol war, and preceding 

 great battles, and other signal enterprises, but the death 

 of any considerable chief calls for a sacrifice of one or 

 more towtows, according to his rank ; and we were told 

 that men were destined to suffer on the death of Terreeoboo. 



" To this class of their customs may also be referred 

 that of knocking out their fore-teeth, as a propitiatory 

 sacrifice to the Eatooa to avert any danger or mischief to 

 which they might be exposed. 



" On the 15th of March, at seven in the morning, we 

 weighed anchor, and passing to the north of Tahoora, 

 stood on to the south-west. On the 23rd the wind, which 

 had been moderate for some time, freshened and increased 

 to a strong gale, which split some of our old sails, and 

 made the running rigging very frequently give way. This 

 gale lasted twelve hours ; it then became more moderate, 

 and continued so till the 25th, at noon, when we entirely 

 lost it, and had only a very light air. 



" On the 30th, the winds and unsettled state of the 

 weather induced Captain Clerke to alter his plan, and at 

 six in the evening we began to steer north-west, which we 

 continued till the 6th of April, when we lost the trade wind. 



" The standing orders, established by Captain Cook, of 

 airing the bedding, placing fires between decks, washing 

 them with vinegar, and smoking them with gunpowder, 

 were observed without any intermission. For some time 

 past, even the operation of mending the sailors' old jackets 

 had risen into a duty both of difficulty and importance. It 

 may be necessary to inform those who are unacquainted 

 with the habits of seamen, that they are so accustomed in 

 ships of war to be directed in the care of themselves by 

 their officers, that they lose the very idea of foresight, and 

 contract the thoughtlessness of infants. I am sure that if 

 our people had been left to their discretion alone, we should 

 have had the whole crew naked before the voyage had been 

 half finished. It was natural to expect that their experience 

 during our voyage to the north last year would have made 



