10 
A V O Y AG E TO 
1779. offer, and fixed on a field of fweet potatoes adjoining to the 
Moral) which was readily granted us; and the priefts, to 
prevent the intrufion of the natives, immediately confe- 
crated the place, by fixing their wands round the wall by 
which it was inclofed. 
This fort of religious interdiction they call taboo ; a word 
we heard often repeated, during our flay amongfl thefe 
iflanders, and found to be of very powerful and extenfive 
operation. A more particular explanation of it will be 
given in the general account of thefe iflands, under the 
article of religion; at prefent it is only neceffary to obferve, 
that it procured us even more privacy than we defired. No 
canoes ever prefumed to land near us ; the natives fat on 
the wall, but none offered to come within the tabooed fpace, 
till he had obtained our permiffion. But though the men, 
at our requefl, would come acrofs the field with provifions, 
yet not all our endeavours could prevail on the women to 
approach us. Prefents were tried, but without effe£t; Pareea 
and Koah were tempted to bring them, but in vain; we 
Were invariably anfwered, that the Eatooa and Terreeoboo 
(which was the name of their king) would kill them. This 
circumflance afforded no fmall matter of amufement to our 
friends on board, where the crowds of people, and parti¬ 
cularly of women, that continued to flock thither, obliged 
them almoft every hour to clear the veffel, in order to have 
room to do the neceffary duties of the fliip. On thefe oc- 
cafions, two or three hundred women were frequently made 
to jump into the water at once, where they continued fwim- 
ming and playing about, till they could again procure ad¬ 
mittance. 
Tuefday 19. From the 19th to the 24th, when Pareea and Koah left 
us to attend Terreeoboo, who had landed on fome other 
10 part 
