1777- our late voyages have enabled us to trace, between the moft
^September. <j£^ant 0£ tjle fe iflands, makes it not un lik e ly , that fome o f
the more important articles o f their religious inftitutions
ihould agree. And, indeed, w e had the moil authentic information,
that human facrifices continue to be offered at
the Friendly Iflands. When. I defcribed the Natche at Tonga*
taboo, I mentioned that, on the approaching fequel o f that
feftival, we had been told, that ten men were to be facri-
ficed. This may give us an idea o f the extent o f this religious
malfacre, in that ifland. And though w e ihould fup-
pofe, that never more than one perfon is facrificed, on any
Angle occalion, at Otaheite, it is more than probable, that
thefe occafions happen fo frequently, as to make a fhockin g
wafte o f the human ra c e ; fo r I counted no lefs than forty-
nine fkulls, o f former viitim s , ly in g before the moral, where
w e faw one more added to the number. And as none o f
thofe iku lls had, as yet, fuffered an y coniiderable change
from the weather, it may hence be inferred, that no great
length o f time had elapfed, fince, at leaft, this coniiderable
number o f unhappy wretches had been offered upon this
altar o f blood.
T h e cuftom, though no confideration can make it ceafe
to be abominable, might be thought lefs detrimental, in
fome refpefts, i f it ferved to imprefs any awe for the divin
ity , or reverence for religion, upon the minds o f the multitude.
But this is fo fa r from be in g the cafe, that though
a great number o f people had affembled at the moral, on
this occalion, they did not feem to Ihew any proper reve?-
rence fo r what was doing, or faying, d uring the celebration
o f the rites. And Omai happening to arrive, after they
had begun, many o f the fpedlators flocked round him, and
were engaged, the remainder o f the time, in makin g him
relate
relate fome o f his adventures, w hich they liftened to with >777-
* September.
great attention, regardlefs o f the folemn offices performing ? .----
b y their priefts. Indeed, the priefts themfelves, except the
one who chiefly repeated the prayers, either from their
being familiarized to fuch objefts, or from want o f confidence
in the efficacy o f their inftitutions, obferved ve ry little
o f that folemnity, which is neceffary to giv e to religious
performances their due weight. T h e ir drefs was only an
ordinary one ; they converfed together, without .fc ru p le ;
and the only attempt made b y them to preferve any appearance
o f decency, was b y exerting their authority, to prevent
the people from coming upon the ve ry fpot where the ceremonies
were performed ; and to fuffer us, as ftrangers, to
advance a little forward. T h e y were, however, ve ry candid
in their anfwers to any queftions that were put to them,
concerning the inftitution. And, particularly, on being
a iked, what the intention o f it was ! T h e y faid, that it was
an old cuftom, and was agreeable to their god, who delighted
in, or, in other words, came and fed upon the facrifices;
in .confequence o f w hich, he complied with their
petitions. Upon its b e in g obje&ed, that he could not feed
on thefe, as he was neither feen to do it, nor were the bodies
o f the animals q u ick ly confumed, and that as to the
human v iffim , they prevented his feeding on him, by bu ry in
g him. But to all this they anfwered, that he came in the
night, but inviflbly ; and fed only on the foul, or immaterial
part, which, according to their doftrine, remains about
the place o f facrifice, until the body o f the vi&im be entirely
wafted by putrefaction. •
It were much to be wiihed, that this deluded people may
learn to entertain the fame horror o f murdering their fe l-
loW-creatures, in order to fu rniih fuch an invifible banquet
■ to