162 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



On the 1st of July, the Peacock sailed from Muthuata, retracing 

 her previous course. Many on board, finding the natives in their 

 deportment always " timid and obliging," began to have doubts as to 

 their reputed character; and even their cannibalism, was called in 

 question, in a discussion the same evening. We might have returned 

 home with conflicting opinions on this point ; but on the following 

 morning, they who had refused to believe, were made to see ; and as 

 we were repassing Naloa, an incident occurred, for the particulars 

 of which I must refer to the Narrative. 



On the 5th, the Peacock re-entered Mbua or Sandalwood Bay ; and 

 the Vincennes arrived there a few hours afterwards. The weather, 

 up to this date, had been invariably fine ; but a change now ensued, 

 and it continued stormy and rainy for several days. 



On the 12th, news was received of the seizure of one of our boats, 

 at a place about twenty miles distant ; and two natives, who had deli- 

 vered themselves up on the occasion, were brought on board the Vin- 

 cennes. While a party was getting ready for the scene of action, 

 Tui Mora proffered his assistance, and proposed " to carry the big 

 guns by land." 



On revisiting the two fortified villages, I was surprised at the ad- 

 vance in the season, during our five weeks absence, as shown by the 

 various wild shrubs that had come into flower. In the cultivated 

 ground, the banana plants had been stripped of their leafy portions 

 and the old stocks had been grubbed up; while the soil had in great 

 part been burned over. 



Formerly, according to Captain Vanderford, " this neighbourhood 

 was in a much more flourishing condition ; when the whole district 

 was ruled by the father of the present king. The Feejee Islands, 

 within his experience, had been generally depopulated, and a marked 

 diminution had taken place in the number of canoes ; but the inhabi- 

 tants were always in a state of war." 



In my previous visits to the two villages, I had been at some pains 

 to make acquaintances; and I was therefore surprised at meeting with 

 no marks of recognition. This, with a single exception, was every- 

 where the result of a few days absence. From the terms on which 

 the Feejeeans live together, it is hardly to be expected that friendship 

 should exist among them ; and indeed, I did not witness any mani- 

 festations of it. 



Where parricide is an established custom, all affection may at first 

 seem questionable; but the institution in reality, is a sacrifice in favour 



