214 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. 
January. 
--I 
crouching down upon the deck, and not quitting that 
humble polture, till they were delired to get up. They had 
brought leveral females with them, who remained along- 
fide in the canoes, behaving with far lefs modefty than their 
countrywomen of Atooi; and, at times, all joining in a fong, 
not remarkable for its melody, though performed in very 
exaCt concert, by beating time upon their brealts with their 
hands. The men who had come on board did not Itay long; 
and before they departed, fome of them requefted our per- 
miffion to lay down, on the deck, locks of their hair. 
Thefe viliters furnifhed us with an opportunity of agitat¬ 
ing again, this day, the curious inquiry, whether they were 
cannibals; and the fubject did not take its rife from any 
qucftipns of ours, but from a circumftance that feemed to 
remove all ambiguity. One of the illanders, who wanted to 
get in at the gun-room port, w r as refufed; and, at the fame 
time, alked, whether, if he fhould come in, we would kill 
and eat him ? accompanying this queftion with ligns fo ex- 
preffive, that there could be no doubt about his meaning. 
This gave a proper opening to retort the queftion as to this 
practice; and a perfon behind the other, in the canoe, who 
paid great attention to what was palling, immediately an- 
fwered, that if we were killed on fhore, they would cer¬ 
tainly eat us. He fpoke with fo little emotion, that it ap¬ 
peared plainly to be his meaning, that they would not de- 
ffcroy us for that purpofe; but that their eating us would 
be the confequence of our being at enmity with them. I 
have availed myfelf of Mr. Anderfon’s collections for the 
decilion of this matter; and am forry to fay, that I cannot 
fee the lealt reafon to hefitate in pronouncing it to be cer¬ 
tain, that the horrid banquet of human flelh is as much re- 
lilhed here, amidft plenty, as it is in New Zealand. 
In 
f 
