nuifed them with a more ridiculous affection, if they had
really been ladies of faflnon in Europe. We were witneffes
of a remarkable inftance of kindnefs, when we few a middle
aged woman, whofe breafts were full of milk, offering
them to a little puppy which had been trained up to fuck
them. We were fo much furprifed at this fight, that we
could not help expreffmg our diflike of it | but flie tailed
at our obfervadon, and added, that fee differed little pigs
to do the fame fervice. Upon enquiry however, we found,
that flie had loft her child, and did her the juftice amongft
ourfelves to acknowledge that this expedient was very innocent
and formerly praftifed in Europe* The dogs of
all thefeiftands were fliort, and their fizes vary from that
of a lap-dog to the largeft fpaniel. Their head is broad,,
the fnout pointed, the eyes very taall, the ears upright,
and their hair raiher long, lank, hard, and of different
colours, but moft commonly white and brown. They
feldom if ever barked, but howled fometimes, and were
fliy of ftrangers to a degree of averfion.
We met with feme of the birds here, which we had
already feen at Taheitee, and alfo a blue white-bellied,
king’s-fiflier, and a greyilh heron. We fliot fome of each
fort, but found a number of people among the croud,
* T h e Indian women in America, . whofe milk is remarkably abundant,
have frequent recourfe to this expedient to .d ra in th eir breafts. See t e a n o n
P auw’s Recherches Philofophiques fur les .Américains, vol. 1. B- 55- .
who
3 7 ?
who annexed an idea of holinefs to thefe birds, and called
them eatooas, which is the fame name by which they de-
fign God. There were however at all times, at leaft an
equal, if not greater number of people who defired us to
flioot them, and were very ready to point them out. Neither
did any of them exprefs a mark of diiappiobation
after we had killed the birds. It is certain that they do
not look upon them as divinities, becaufe thefe accoid-
ing to their ideas are invifible ; but the name of eatooa
which they beftow on them, feems to convey an idea of a
much greater veneration, than that which protefts fwallows
and other birds in England, againft the mifehievous pur-
fuit of unlucky boys. Here and in many other circum-
ftances relative to civil, political, and religious inftitutions,
we are entirely at a lofs; and on account of our fliort continuance
among thefe iflanders, as Well as for want of
knowing their language, .could never obtain any fatisfadlory
information.
With the acquifitions which we had made, we continued
our excurfion to the northern arm of the harbour,
where Mr. Smith, one of our mates, fuperintended the wa-
terers. We found a number of natives afiembled about
him, who brought fo many hogs, for fale, that we were
plentifully fupplied with frefli meat, and could ferve .it
every day to both {hips companies. Vegetables on the
C c c 2 other