THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
219 
for one woman fed another who was under that interdic- 1778. 
tion. They alfo obferved fome other myfterious ceremo- t Febru ^ ry ‘ 
nies ; one of which was performed by a woman, who took 
a fmall pig, and threw it into the furf, till it was drowned, 
and then tied up a bundle of wood, which fhe alfo diJk 
pofed of in the fame manner. The fame woman, at ano¬ 
ther time, beat with a hick upon a man’s fhoulders, who 
fat down for that purpofe. A particular veneration feemed 
to be paid here to owls, which they have very tame ; and 
it was obferved to be a pretty general practice, amongfl 
them, to pull out one of their teeth * ; for which odd 
cuftom, when alked the reafon, the only anfwer that could 
be got was, that it was teeba , which was alfo the reafon af- 
figned for another of their pratftices, the giving a lock of 
their hair. 
After the water-calks had been filled and conveyed into 
the boat, and we had purchafed from the natives a few 
roots, a little fait, and fome falted filli, I returned on board 
with all the people, intending to vifit the illand the next 
day. But, about feven o’clock in the evening, the anchor 
of the Refolution ftarted, and fhe drove off the bank. As 
we had a whole cable out, it was fome time before the 
anchor was at the bows; and then we had the launch to 
hoift up along-fide, before we could make fail. By this un¬ 
lucky accident, we found ourfelves, at day-break next 
morning, three leagues to the leeward of our laft Ration ; Monday 2 » 
and forefeeing that it would require more time to recover 
it than I chofe to fpend, I made the fignal for the Difcovery 
* It is very remarkable, that, in this cuftom, which one would think is fo unnatural, 
as not to be adopted by two different tribes, originally unconnected, the people of this 
ifland, and Dampier’s natives on the Weft fide of New Holland, at fuch an immenfe 
diftance, ftiould be found to agree. 
F f 2 
to 
