218 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. coming from all parts, who, on being called to by my at- 
1 Lbluary ^ tendants, threw themfelves proftrate on their faces, till I 
was out of light. The ground, through which I pafled, 
was in a ftate of nature, very ftony, and the foil feemed 
poor. It was, however, covered with fhrubs and plants, 
fome of which perfumed the air, with a more delicious fra- 
grancy than I had met with at any other of the iilands vi- 
iited by us in this ocean. Our people, who had been obliged 
to remain fo long on Ihore, gave me the fame account of 
thofe parts of the ifland which they had traverfed. They 
met with feveral fait ponds, fome of which had a little 
water remaining, but others had none; and the fait that 
was left in them was fo thin, that no great quantity could 
have been procured. There was no appearance of any run¬ 
ning fiream; and though they found fome fmall wells, in 
which the frefh water was tolerably good, it feemed fcarce. 
The habitations of the natives were thinly fcattered about; 
and it was fuppofed, that there could not be more than five 
hundred people upon the ifland, as the greateft part were 
feen at the marketing-place of our party, and few found 
about the houfes by thofe who walked up the country. 
They had an opportunity of obferving the method of living 
amongft the natives, and it appeared to be decent and 
cleanly. They did not, however, fee any infiance of the 
men and women eating together; and the latter feemed 
generally aflbciated in companies by themfelves. It was 
found, that they burnt here the oily nuts of the dooe dooe 
for lights in the night, as at Otaheite; and that they baked 
their hogs in ovens; but, contrary to the pra6lice of the 
Society and Friendly Iilands, fplit the carcafes through 
their whole length. They met with a pofitive proof of the 
exiftence of the taboo (or as they pronounce it the tafooJ y 
for 
