38 



porter's journaj>. 



would allow him to attend to nothing hut his own safety*. 

 We had gained a victory, which, to him, seemed incredi- 

 ble ; and the number of dead which they had borne off as 

 trophies, had far exceeded that of any former battle within 

 his recollection ; as they fight for weeks, nay, for months 

 sometimes, without killing any on either side, though many 

 are, in all their engagements, severely wounded. The 

 Tayees had, however, a short time before our arrival, lost 

 one of their priests, of the greatest note, who had been 

 killed by an ambuscade of the Happahs ; and this circum- 

 stance had occasioned a tabboo of the strictest nature to be 

 established, which was now in full force, and continued as 

 long as we remained on the island. 



I am not acquainted with the ceremony of laying oil 

 these tabbooes, which are so much respected by the natives. 

 They are, however, laid by the priests, from some religious 

 motive. Sometimes they are general, and affect a whole 

 valley, as the present; sometimes they are confined to a 

 single tribe ; at others to a family, and frequently to a sin* 

 gle person. The word tabboo, signifies an interdiction, an 

 embargo, or restraint; and the restrictions during the 

 period of their existence, may be compared to the lent of 

 the catholics. They suffer, during this period, many pri- 

 vations ; they are not allowed to use paint, of which they 

 are very fond, to ornament their bodies ; they are neither 

 allowed to dance nor sing ; the chiefs are bound to abstain 

 from women ; nor are they, in many instances, allowed to 

 enter the houses frequented by them. They have tab- 

 booed places, where they feast, and drink kava — tabbooed 

 houses where dead bodies are deposited, and many of their 

 trees, and even some of their walks are tabbooed. The 

 women are, on no occasion whatever, allowed to enter 

 their places of feasting, which are houses raised, to the 

 height of six or eight feet on a platform of large stonesj 

 neatly hewn and fitted together, with as much skill and ex- 

 actness, as could be done by our most expert masons ; and 

 some of them are one hundred yards in length, and forty 

 yards in width, surrounded by a square of buildings exe- 

 cuted in a style of elegance, which is calculated to inspire 

 us with the most exalted opinion of the ingenuity, taste, 

 and perseverance of a people, who have hitherto remained 

 imnoticed, and unknown to the rest of mankind. Wheir 



