55$ R E M A R K S on the
religion; to dread the anger and difpleafure o f a being whofe power, is
infinitely fuperior to that o f any other, they have an idea of..
After the birth of a c.hildy they do not ©bferve any ceremonies
whatever, excepting that o f deprefiing in fome degree its nofe,
and giving it a name from fome objedt or . other which is-neareft
at hand, or which from fome circumftance becomes remarkable.
T h e king ofTaheitee was-called O-Too, which is the name o f a grey
heron: the chief of the iQe of St. Chriftina, one-of the Mavquefa-
iflands, was called Ahonoo, which fignifies, a turtle ; one o f the chiefs
at Taheitee related to Q-Toa was called Teehee the foul or a carved
figure, which is the fymbol or emblem o f the foul, Th e chief,of
the province of Tittahaw had the name o f Toumdta-r'oa a great-hat,
and many more of that nature, much top tedious to mention.
However in this early period of life, the male children undergo a
ceremonv or operation on their genitals, for a piece o f bamboo reed
is thrull into the prepuce, and the membrane -flit by means o f
another bamboo-reed, (to which a very lharp edge is given by tearing
it) in order to prevent its contracting over and covering the gjans.
This operation is-performed merely from principles o f cleanlinefs,
by the priell, though there is not any religion or religious ceremony
mixed with the cuftom; for which reafon it is not perfomed on a
certain day after the birth o f the child, nor at any certain age;
but when the child is capable of attending to it, that the prepuce
3 . may
H U M A N S'. P E C I E S.
may not,again join over the glans, then the operation is made, ireligion.
which, from its nature, cannot properly be called a circumcifion.
.Both Axes have many marks on their fkin, made by pundluring
the part with a toothed inftrument o f .bone, dipt into lamp black
and water, and by this method they imprint marks which are
.indelible for life, Th e men have fometimes not only a black
part on their buttocks, but fometimes on the arms-and-even their
fides, and various other parts' of .the body marked in this manner.
Th e toothed inftrument; is called 'Epowee-fatatiabu, a Ipatula--of
.wood, with which they conftantly ftir the black colour, and-, on
one end o f which they have.contrived a kind of fmall club of the
thicknefs o f a finger, is the iecond inftrument employed on this
occafion; with the fmall club they;giv.e repeated gentle; ftrokes on
the toothed inftrument,, in order to make it pierce the ikin- This
fpatula is called Tatae, and the black colour (irabod-tatthou. The
.arches which they defign on the buttocks obtain the name of
ay ar.ee; the parts which are one mafs , of black on the buttocks
■ are named toumavro, and the.'arches-which are thus defigned on
the buttocks o f their females, and are honourable marks o f their
puberty, are called toto-hooiva: the priefts are the only-perfohs
entitled to perform thefe operations, andare paid for their trouble
in cloth, fowls, filh, and after the natives had obtained European
commodities, in nails and beads.
In