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327 



OF SOCI- 

 ETIES., 



But I had reafon to believe, that all the nations of the South Seas origin 

 were formerly cannibals, even in the moll: happy and fertile climates, 

 where they fdll live upon the almoft fpontanebus fruits, though 

 their population be extremely great. 



The natives of Tanna gave 



us more than once to underiland,. that if we penetrated far into 

 the country againll their will, and without their permiffion, they 

 would kill us, cut our bodies up, and eat them : when we pur- 

 pofely affeded to mifunderiland this laft part of their ftory. 



and 



preted it, as if they were going to g 



us fomething good 



to eat, they convinced us by figns which could not be mifmter- 



r 



preted, that they vs^ould tear v/ith their teeth the, flelh from our 



arms and legs. 



In Mallicolld, we had likewife fome intimation that they were ' 



cannibals. The Taheiteans frequently enumerated to us iiles in- 

 habited by men-eaters: for inftance, they faid,. that 



beyond 



Tabuamanoo is a high ifland 



called Manua,.. whofe inhabitants 



" have but very few canoes,, are ferocious, have wild and furious 



+ 



eyes, and eat men :" nay, we were at laft told, that they them- 

 felves had formerly been Ta^eai^, i. e., men-eaters. As the 



inhabitants 



perfons, andof fuch people who had no indircement to compliment the author with their 

 tcftimonies ; it may ferve to prove ftill more the enormities, to which the rage of hunger 

 may drive fome w^retches ; and it likewife Ihews, how eafiiy the more reiined feelings, of. 

 humanity arc overcome, by the horrors of unconcjiierable want,.- 



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