November. Sot the better of my indignation, efpecially when I confi-
dered that it would avail but little, and being: defirous of be-
1 u eld ay 23. . rr ° coming an eye-witnefs of a fadl which many, doubted, I
ordered a piece of the flefli to be broiled and brought to the
quarter-deck, where one of thefe cannibals eat it with fur-
prifing avidity. This had fuch an effect on feme of our
people as to make them fick. Oedidee (who came on board
with me (was fo affected with the fight as to become perfectly
.motionlefs, and feemed as if metamorphofed into the
ftatue of Horror. It is utterly impoffible for art to deferibe
that paffton with half the force that it appeared in his countenance.
When rouzed from this ftate by fome of us, he
burft into tears; continued to weep and fcold by turns ; told
them they were vile men; and that he neither was, nor
would be any longer their friend. He even would not fuffer
them to touch him ; he ufed the fame language to one of the
gentlemen who cut off the flefli; and refufed to accept, or even
touch, the knife with which it was done. Such was Qedidee’s
indignation againft the vile cuftom; and worthy of imitation
by every rational being. I
I was not able to find out the reafon for their undertaking
this expedition ; all I could underftand for certain was, that
they went from hence into Admiralty Bay (the next inlet
to the Weft) and there fought with their enemies, many
of whom they killed. They counted to me fifty • a number
which exceeded probability, as they were not more, if fo.
many, themfelves. I think I underftood them clearly, that
this youth was killed there; and not brought away prifoner,
and afterwards killed. Nor could I learn that they had
brought away any more than this one; which increafed the
improbability of their having, killed fo many. We had alfo
reafon
reafon to think that they did not come off without lofs ; for a pé-
young woman was feen, more than once, to cut herfelf, as i— i
is the cuftom when they lofe a friend Or relation.
That the New Zealanders are cannibals, can now no longer
be doubted. The account given of this in my former voyage,
being partly founded on circumftances, Was, as I afterwards
underftood, diferedited by many perfons. Few con-
fider what a favage man is in his natural ftate, and even after
he is, in fome degree, civilized. The New Zealanders
are certainly in fome ftaté of civilization ; their behaviour
to us was manly and mild, fhewing, on all occafions. a reàd'i-
nefs to oblige. They have fome arts among them which
they execute with great judgment and unwearied patience;
they are far lefs addifted to thieving than the other iflanders
of the South Sea ; and, I believe, thofe in the fame tribe, or
fuch as. are at peace one with another, are Aridity honeft
among themfelves. This cuftom of eating their enemies
flain in battle (for I firmly believe they eat the flefli of no.
others) has, undoubtedly, been handed down to them from
the earlieft times ; and we know it is not an eafy matter to
wean a nation from their ancient cuftoms, let them be ever
fo: inhuman and favage ; efpecially if that nation has nomanner
of connexion or commerce with ftrangers. For it is-
by this that the greateft part of the human race has been,
civilized ; an advantage which the New Zealanders, from
their fituation, nevtr had. An intercourfe with foreigners-
would reform their manners, and polifli their favage minds-
Or, were they more united under a fettled form of government,
they would have fewer enemies, confequently this
cuftom would be lefs in ufe, and might in time be in a
manner forgotten. At prefent, they have but little idea of
treating others as themfelves would tuifh to be treated, bur
3 - treat