CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. 101 
strangled. Instances are now, however, beginning to occur, in which 
this custom is not persisted in, a circumstance which seems to show 
that the dawn of civilization is breaking upon them. 
On the day of the death, a feast called mburua is always provided ; 
another four days after, called boniva; anda third at the end of ten 
days, which is called boniviti. 
The usual outward sign of mourning is to crop the hair or beard, or 
very rarely both. Indeed, they are too vain of these appendages to 
part with them on trifling occasions; and as the hair, if cut off, takes 
a long time to grow again, they use a wig as a substitute. Some of 
these wigs are beautifully made, and even more exact imitations of 
nature, than those of our best perruquiers. 
Another mark of sorrow is to cut off the joints of the small toe and 
little finger; and this is not done only as a mark of grief or a token 
of affection, but the dismembered joints are frequently sent to families 
which are considered wealthy, and who are able to reward this token 
of sympathy in their loss, which they never fail to do. 
Women in mourning burn their skin into blisters, as is the practice 
also in other groups visited by us. The instrument used for the pur- 
pose is a piece of tapa twisted into a small roll and ignited. Marks 
thus produced may be seen on their arms, shoulders, neck, and breast. 
This custom is called loloe maie. 
The eating of human flesh is not confined to cases of sacrifice for 
religious purposes, but is practised from habit and taste. The exis- 
tence of cannibalism, independent of superstitious notions, has been 
doubted by many. There can be no question that, although it may 
have originated as a sacred rite, it is continued in the Feejee Group 
for the mere pleasure of eating human flesh as a food. Their fondness 
for it will be understood from the custom they have of sending por- 
tions of it to their friends at a distance, as an acceptable present, and 
the gift is eaten, even if decomposition have begun before it is re- 
ceived. So highly do they esteem this food, that the greatest praise 
they can bestow on a delicacy is to say that it is as tender as a dead 
man. 
Even their sacrifices are made more frequent, not merely to gratify 
feelings of revenge, but to indulge their taste for this horrid food. In 
respect to this propensity, they affect no disguise; I have myself fre- 
quently spoken with them concerning it, and received but one answer, 
both from chiefs and common people, that it was vinaka (good). 
The bodies of enemies slain in battle are always eaten. Whippy 
told me that he saw, on one occasion, upwards of twenty men cooked; 
and several of the white residents stated that they have seen bodies 
