JUNE 1769 DOGS AS FOOD 



101 



him clean with a shell. He then opened him with the same 

 instrument, and taking out his entrails, pluck, etc., sent 

 them to the sea, where they were most carefully washed and 

 put into cocoanut shells with what blood he had found in 

 him. The stones were now laid, and the dog, well covered 

 with leaves, laid upon them ; in about two hours he was 

 dressed, and in another quarter of an hour completely eaten. 

 A most excellent dish he made for us, who were not much 

 prejudiced against any species of food. I cannot, however, 

 promise that an European dog would eat as well, as these in 

 Otahite scarcely in their lives touch animal food ; cocoanut 

 kernel and bread-fruit, yams, etc., being what their masters 

 can best afford to give them, and what indeed from custom 

 I suppose they prefer to any other food. 



24th. The market has been totally stopped ever since 

 the boats were seized, nothing being offered for sale but a 

 few apples ; our friends, however, are liberal in presents, so 

 that we make -shift to live without expending our bread, 

 which last, and spirits, are our most valuable articles. Late 

 in the evening Tubourai and Tamio returned from Eparre, 

 bringing with them several presents, among the rest a large 

 piece of thick cloth, which they desired that I would carry 

 home to my sister Opia, and for which they would take no 

 kind of return. They are often very inquisitive about our 

 families, and remember anything that is told them very 

 well. 



2Qth. At three o'clock this morning Captain Cook and 

 myself set out to the eastward in the pinnace, intending, if it 

 was convenient, to go round the island. 1 



28th. We saw an English goose and a turkey-cock, 

 which they told us had been left by the Dolphin, both of 

 them immensely fat and as tame as possible, following the 

 Indians everywhere, who seemed immensely fond of them. 



29th. We saw a singular curiosity: a figure of a man 

 made of basket-work, roughly but not ill designed. It was 



1 The circumnavigation of the island presents few interesting features 

 beyond what was noticed on the 28th and 29th ; any differences in customs 

 are recorded in Chapter VII. ("General Account of the South Sea Islands "). 



