A VOYAGfE TO 
1777. rather fhipifying powers. Some of us, who had been at 
thefe iflands before, were furprized to find many people, 
who, when we faw them laft, were remarkable for their 
fize and corpulency, now almoft reduced to Ikeletons; and, 
upon inquiring into the caufe of this alteration, it was uni- 
• verfally allowed to be the ufe of the ava. The Ikins of 
thefe people were rough, dry, and covered with fcales; 
which, they fay, every now and then, fall off, and their 
fkin is, as it were, renewed. As an excufe for a practice fo 
deftrudtive, they allege, that it is adopted to prevent their 
growing too fat; but it evidently enervates them ; and, in 
all probability, Ihortens their days. As its effedts had not 
been fo vifible, during our former vifits, it is not unlikely 
that this article of luxury had. never been fo much abufed 
as at this time. If it continues to be fo fafhionable, it bids 
fair to deftroy great numbers. 
The times of eating, at Otaheite, are very frequejit. Their 
firft meal, or (as it may rather be called) their laft, as they 
go to lleep after it, is about two o’clock in the morning; 
and the next is at eight. At eleven, they dine ; and again, 
as Omai expreffed it, at two, and at five ; and fup at eight. 
In this article of domeftic life, they have adopted fome 
cuftoms which are exceedingly whimfical. The women, for 
inftance, have not only the mortification of being obliged to 
eat by themfelves, and in a different part of the houfe from 
the men; but, by a ftrange kind of policy, are excluded 
from a Ihare of moft of the better forts of food. They dare 
not tafte turtle, nor fifti of the tunny kind, which is much 
efteemed; nor fome particular forts of the beft plantains ; 
and it is very feldom that even thofe of the firft rank are 
fuffered to eat pork. The children of each fex alfo eat 
apart; and the women, generally, ferve up their own vic¬ 
tuals ; 
