1777V they call it tohoo rcnid. Taboo, in general, fignifies forbidden ;
[V •*u'y' . and rcma is their word for hand..
When the taboo is incurred, by paying obeifance to a great
perforiage, it is thus eafily wafhed off..: But, in fome other
cafCS) it muft neceflarily continue for a certain time. We
have frequently feen women, who have been taboo rema, fed
by others. At the expiration of the time, the interdicted
perfon walltes herfelf in one of their baths, which are dirty
holes, for the moft part, of brackifih water. She then waits
upon the king, and, after making her obeifance in the ufual
way, lays hold of his foot, and applies it to her breaft,
flioiiiders, and other partsjaf her body. He then embraces
her on each fliouldcr; after which ihe reiires, purified from
her uncleannefs. I do not know, that it is always neceffary
to come to the king for this purpofe; though Omat allured
me it was. If this be fd, it may be one reafon why he is,
Tor the moil, part, travelling from ifland to ifland. I faw
this ceremony performed, by him, two or three-times; and
once by Feenou, to one of his own women; but as Omai
was not then with me, I could not alk the occafion.
Taboo, as I h a v e before obferved, is a word of an extenlive fignification. Human facrifices arc called tangata tafioo-, and when any thing is forbidden to be eat, or made ufe of, they fay; that it is taboo. They tell us, that, if the king ihould happen to go into a houfe belonging to a fubjecl, that houfe would be taboo,, and could never more owner; fo that, wherever he travels, tbhee rien haarbei tepda rbtiyc.u tlhaer houfes for his reception. Old Toobou, at this time, pre- fid'ed over the taboo-, that is, if Omai comprehended the matter rightly, he and his deputies infpeited all the produce
of the .i fl■ and; takri n3 g ;car'e that every man ihouldt ivcautle-
tivate and plant his quota; and ordering what fhouia be Weat,
and what not. By this wife regulation, they effectually 1 ^ t
guard againft a famine ; a fufficient quantity of ground is
employed in railing provifions; and every article, thus raifed,
is fecured from unneceflary wafte.
By another prudent rfeghlation, in their Governtnent,
they have an officer over the police ; or fomething like it.
This department, when we were amongft them, was admi-
niftered by Feenou ; Whole bufinefs, we were told, it was; to
punilh all offenders, whether againft the ftdte, or againft individuals.
He was alfo Generaliffimo, and commanded the
warriors,, when called out upon fervice; but, by all accounts,
this is very ieldom, The king, frequently, took
fome pains tb inform us of Feenou’s officeV and, among other
things, told us, that if he himfelf Ihould become a bad man,
Feenou would kill him. What I underftood, by this expref-
fion of being a bad man, was, that, if he did not govern
according to law, or cuftom, Feenou would be ordered, by
the other great men, or by the people at large, to put him
to death. There ihould feem to be no doubt, that a Sovereign,
thus liable to be controuled, and puniflied for an abufe
of power, cannot be called a defpotic monarch.
When We' confider the number of iflands that compofe
this little ftate, and the diftance at which fome o f them lie
from the feat of Government, attempts to throw off the
yoke, and to acquire independency, it ihould feem, might
be apprehended. But they tell us, that this never happens.
One reafon. why they are not thus difturbed, by domeftit
quarrels, may be this : That all the powerful Chiefs,'as we
have already mentioned, reude at Tongataboo. They alfo
fecure the dependence of the other i(lands, by- the celerity
of their operations ; for if, at any time, a troubleibme and
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