168 
A VOYAGE TO 
1 777* 
December 
*» ■ — n— —< 
food found upon the earth; as alfo the Iky, which is fup- 
; ported by men called Teeferei. The fpots ohferved in the 
moon, are fuppofed to be groves of a fort of trees which 
once grew in Otaheite, and, being deftroyed by fome acci¬ 
dent, their feeds were carried up thither by doves, where 
they now flourifh. 
They have alfo many legends, both religious and hifto- 
rical; one of which latter, relative to the pra6lice of eating 
human flefh, I fhall give the fubfiance of, as a fpecimen of 
their method. A long time fince, there lived in Otaheite 
two men called Taheeai ; the only name they yet have for 
cannibals. None knew from whence they came, or in 
what manner they arrived at the ifland. Their habitation 
w T as in the mountains, from whence they ufed to iffue, and 
kill many of the natives, whom they afterward devoured, 
and, by that means, prevented the progrefs of population. 
Two brothers, determined to rid their country of fuch a for¬ 
midable enemy, ufed a ftratagem for their deftru£tion, with 
fuccefs. Thefe ftill lived farther upward than the ’Taheeai) 
and in fuch a fituation, that they could fpeak with them, 
without greatly hazarding their own fafety. They invited 
them to accept of an entertainment, that fhould be provided 
for them, to which thefe readily confented. The brothers 
then taking fome if ones, heated them in a fire, and thrufiing 
them into pieces of mahee , defired one of the Taheeai to open 
his mouth. On which, one of thefe pieces was dropped in, 
and fome water poured down, which made a boiling or biff¬ 
ing noife, in quenching the ftone, and killed him. They 
intreated the other to do the fame; but he declined it, repre- 
fenting the confequences of his companion’s eating. How¬ 
ever, they affured him, that the food was excellent, and its 
effects only temporary; for that the other would foon re¬ 
cover. 
