THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 161 
the objedt of it, from feeing two of thefe birds tame at the 1779. 
village of Kakooa, which they told me were Eatooas ; and, 
refuting every thing I offered Tor them, cautioned me, at 
the fame time, not to hurt or offend them. 
Amongft their religious ceremonies, may be reckoned 
the prayers and offerings made by the prieffs before their 
meals. Whilft the ava is chewing, of which they always 
drink before they begin their repaid, the perfon of the 
higheft rank takes the lead in a fort of hymn, in which he 
is prefently joined by one, two, or more of the company; 
the reft moving their bodies, and ftriking their hands 
gently together, in concert with the fingers. When the ava 
is ready, cups of it are handed about to thofe v r ho do not 
join in the fong, which they keep in their hands till it is 
ended; when, uniting in one loud refponfe, they drink 
off their cup. The performers of the hymn are then 
ferved with ava 9 who drink it after a repetition of the 
fame ceremony; and, if there be prefent one of a very fu- 
perior rank, a cup is, laft of all, prefented to him, which, 
after chanting fome time alone, and being arifwered by the 
reft, and pouring a little out on the ground, he drinks off. 
A piece of the flefh that is dreffed, is next cut off, without 
any feledtion of the part of the animal; which, together 
with fome of the vegetables, being depofited at the foot of 
the image of th e Eatooa, and a hymn chanted, their meal 
commences. A ceremony of much the fame kind is alfo 
performed by the Chiefs, whenever they drink ava 9 be¬ 
tween their meals. 
Human facrifices are more frequent here, according to 
the account of the natives themfelves, than in any other 
iflands we vifited. Thefe horrid rites are not only had re- 
courfe to upon the commencement of war, and preceding 
Vol. III. Y great 
