A VOYAGE TO 
As in fuch. a life, their women muft contribute a very 
large fhare of its happinefs, it is rather furprizing, belides 
the humiliating reftraints they are laid under with regard to 
food, 
foutiennent leur voix , et anhnent leur chants avec une action fi vlvc , et des gejles ft exprejftyes , 
qu cites charment ceux qui les voient , et qui les entendent. 5. We read, in Hawkefworth’s 
account of Captain Cook’s firft voyage [Vol. ii. p. 235.] that at Otaheite garlands of the 
fruit of the palm-tree and cocoa-leaves, with other things particularly confecrated to fune¬ 
ral folemnities, are depofited about the places where they lay their dead; and that provifions 
and water are alfo left at a little diftance. How conformable to this is the practice at the 
Ladrones, as defcribed by Le Gobien ! Us font quelques repas autour du tombeau ; car on en 
eleve toujours un fur le lieu ou le corps eft enterre , ou dans le voifmage ; on le charge de fleurs, 
de branches de palmlers , de coquillages> et de tout ce quits ont de plus precieux. 6. It is the 
cuftom at Otaheite [fee Hawkefworth, Vol. ii. p. 236.] not to bury the fculls of the 
Chiefs, with the reft of the bones, but to put them into boxes made for that purpofe. Here 
again, we find the fame ftrange cuftom prevailing at the Ladrones ; for Le Gobien exprefsly 
tells us, qu’ils gardent les cranes en leur maifons , that they put thefe fculls into little bafkets 
(petkes corbeilles) ; and that thefe dead Chiefs are the Anitis , to whom their priefts addrefs 
their invocations. 7. The people of Otaheite, as we learn from Captain Cook, in his ac¬ 
count of Tee’s embalmed corpfe, make ufe of cocoa-nut oil, and other ingredients, in rub¬ 
bing the dead bodies. The people of the Ladrones, Father Le Gobien tells us, fometimes 
do the fame— D’autres frottent les morts d’huile ocloriferante. 8. The inhabitants of Ota¬ 
heite [fee Hawkefwprth, Vol. ii. p. 239, 240.] believe the immortality of the foul; and 
that there are two fituations after death, fomewhat analogous to our heaven and hell; but 
they do not fuppofe, that their actions here in the leaft influence their future ftate. And in 
the account given in this voyage [Vol. i. p. 403.] of the religious opinions entertained 
at the Friendly Iflands, we find there, exactly the fame dodtrine. It is very obfervable, how 
conformable to this is the belief of the inhabitants of the Ladrones— Us font perfuades (fays 
Le Gobien) de l 1 immortalite de Vame. Ils reconnoiffent ?neme un Paradis et un Enfer , dont 
Us fe forment des idees ajjez blzarres. Ce Aefi point , felon eux^ la vertu ni le crime , qui con¬ 
duit dans ces lieux la ; les bonnes ou les mauvaifes addons n’y fervent de rien. 9. One more 
very fingular inftance of agreement, fhall clofe this long lift. In Captain Cook’s account 
of die New Zealanders [Vol. i. p. 138.], we find, that, according to them, the foul of the 
man who is killed, and whofe flefh is devoured, is doomed to a perpetual fire; while the 
fouls of all who die a natural death, afcend to the habitations, of the Gods. And, from Le 
Gobien, we learn, that this very notion is adopted by his iflanders— Si on a le malheur de 
mourir de mart violente^ on a Venfer pour leur partage. 
Surely, fuch a concurrence of very charadteriftic conformities cannot be the refult of 
mere 
l6o 
1777- 
December. 
