>” +■. is purely water;, fince coco-nuts- are fcarce, at leaft in the:
parts wliich we vifited. It is however to be fufpedled, that
fince they have the pepper-root, and make ufe of it as a
fign of peace, like the other iflanders,. they may a>lfo prepare
the fame dainty beverage from it, with which the others
intoxicate themfelves- They are peculiarly cleanly in regard
to the tgsfta. Ac the Society Iflands the. wanderer’s-
eyes and nofe are offended every morning, in the midft of a
path, with the natural effects of a found digeflion: but the
natives of the Ma-rquefas are accuftomed, after the manner
of our cats, to bury the offenfive objefts in the earth; Ac
Taheiree, indeed; they depend on the friendly affiftance of
rats, who greedily devour thefe odoriferous dainties ; nay
they feemed to be convinced that their cuftom is the moil:
proper in the world ; for their witty countryman, Tupaya:
r r „ pia), found fault with our- want of delicacy, when he
faw a little building, appropriated to the rites of Cloacina,
in every houfe at Batavia»
We battened down- to the fea-fide, in order to reach it
before our boats put off. When we came to the Chip, we
found it furrounded with canoes from different parts, who
brought feveral hogs and plenty of bananas for fale. The
alarm which our unfortunate aft of violence had fpread
among the natives on the firft day, was now forgotten, and
they came into- the fhip in- great numbers,, converfing fa.
miliarly with our people, and exprefling great fatisfaftion
at
at every thing which they faw. They had even fo far
laid afide all thoughts of what had happened, that many
began to pilfer again, as often as an opportunity offered;
however, if they were detedled, they never failed to return
very quietly what they had taken. They frequently danced
upon the decks, for the diverfion of our fail'ors ; and in
thefe dances we obferved a linking refembtance with thofe
of Taheitee. It appeared likewife that their mufic was
nearly the fame, efpecially as they had the fame kind of
drums, of which Mahine-purchafed one. Their canoes-
were likewife very fimilar to thofe of Taheitee, but of nogreat
fize. The heads commonly had fome flat upright
piece, on which the human face was coarfely carved ; and
their fails were made of mats, triangular, and very broad
at the top. The paddles which they ufed were made of a
heavy hard wood, fliort, but ffiarp-pointed, and with a
knob at the upper end.
I ftaid on board in the afternoon, and ranged the col-
le&ions which we had hitherto made. In the evening,,
captain Cook, with fome officers, Mr. Hodges, Dr. Sparr-
man, and my father, returned on board, having been out-
all the afternoon to vifit two coves to the fouth of our harbour.
They found thefe places extremely open, and ex-
pofed to the fea, and run great rifle in landing and embarking,
on account of the prodigious furf on the beach. They
met with abundance of refrelhments for their pains, and!
pur