K I Taloo in Eimeo, was dropped by i tem in its romantic fituation. T h e
k LMl Tahouras, or prices, are numerous, and have great ‘power ; but,all the
chiefe officiate on certain 0Gcafion?> T h e human victims are commonly
- criminals, and are killed d u ring deep ; a j fljp p in f l a t e jfcf ferocious,
fuperftition, mingled with mildnefs „ o f character. The- women are not
admitted to the Morais, far Iefs facrifice&.-as at the Friendly Jfless. ^ E ot
a more ample account of their manners and euftoms th e reader Preferred
to the Voyage of, the Miffionaries;* which, from lo n g e r opportunities
o f obfervation, affords the njoft ample and,1-authentic -intelligence.
From the . general view o f their manners, it will not appear-wbndbrful
that this enchanted region excited-great' attention, not, o n ly in England,
b u t throughout E u ro p e ; as every bofom felt that here were'freedom,
and eafe, and happinefs, which the artifices o f feme, and the" fiiper-
ftition o f others, have fo much contributed to- baniflr from bMlized
fociety, where Kfe itfelf has became a cergtoeny, - Yet th e numerous
mteftine wars, o f one little iffeagaiaft another, ‘.re n te r evefS'this’ftate o f
imcivilized life Hftle deferable. ~ ;
Zoology. T h e cKfef animals are hogs, as ufuai in ad th e d ie s o f Fofynefia,' and
th ey have alfo dogs and poultry. T h e b re a d fru it treeiatettrfds p ‘and
k rg e plantations arfe made o f cocoa trees and plantains. T h e fe a sfw arn t
with fife, and in catching them great ingenuity is difpfeyed; th ir^ rto e s
having outriggers, or being doubled, by lafh'ing twb together.
Though the people o f the Friendly Iflands be -ftiperiof indfeprove-
nvents and go v e rnm en t; and the women o f the Marquefas fa r feperior
in b e au ty ; yet the people o f Otaheite are fo polite1 and affable, and
th d r manners fo engaging, tha t joined w ith the rotnarrtic beauty o f the1
country, the numerous ftreams, and the fuperabundanee o f fpontdneous
produ&ions, this ifland is ftill preferred to all others in Pdlynefia/ and
thofe o f the Navigator^ muff b e further explored before any comparifon
can be inftituted.
- I t has already been mentioned th a t this ifland coirfifts as it were p f
two mountains. Thefe are encircled b y a border o f low land, from
the beach to the rifing o f the hills, in feme places near a mile in breadth,
* Some were left in Otaheite, but'their endeavours do not appear to have been crowned with
faeeefs, and molt of them have fines returned to the fetfclement at Port Jackfon,
while
whfli in 1 fctfer^ihe frocks impen»>brer‘ the fea. The -fell of the low
laft ds\*J àVid* offtte* Valeri ¥nterfèbl^ïh^rt®e|tét^fd^ the ocean, is
remarkablffertllê;l#i^fiffihg’èf^ï#e##l|Ëki¥lt1teotild. Wheh i f ! trade
mn â .^tsTâf'tô tfid fe'uthTh f É #»ihe 1‘flaml ; b tl'o n tlie
north’4he ffibwers^aré ïfë fs^'fre^^ ^^n (l'v<OT^-" ''lljf^e* 1 after tîfe
hafVfc-oTBr'eaS frtMtfegfes.’ an^c^mnues^ till tile end
Jàifuary in ît^ ^ ^ fb e 'g lîiâ !^ January and
^Ovêffiber i but,there /re .A ^ tio ri^ io aA l q natute ofjtfie
ûu^Mf being abôijt thirt^** On^ift,ai^®(t^e
cHÉigesfffim a nqHjbam in^|ferffsiMll^; o rvma|L df various
- * 8 . ‘BfeôeatBTïs a felt fatKlffoue’^df ./Brmvmîfi'Gpfour ; and bafalt
alfojBbunds, of affile g|aiù|-#" w frith they id tt^Tm ik u tliu r tools'.
Tteÿ&gular oïïff ;êj|led ^à ftlc1.^ ’The^èiacl
vqlarijc glps,' 'calledobfidiànjÇÏs. laid toÆft'fpund'in' thfe rivers and allô
ptimféis, Mications that a vofcanqjcrace' è'xiffed(' but that any
or ifland; is of a volcanic 6rigih.'rnay perhaps He fafély doibfedv,
as jpmÿ littlfe rude ifEes o f a mop diminuée ffze, Jiaye tbeCn
wifiiïn huma|çVecofa^ The T ir ^ J ^W w ^ eF lake abbye,
mfflttotecl may pJè rn a ^ l( a v e d ^ f^ e * rarer oft n ^ t t ^ ^ f r T h î ï 'f a l e
is faTfl"p3’e ■falftpfelefs ; but its ffiorehâre ^éE|)èpW!ec|by an in^ufeieuV
« ■ T h e emef harbour of Otaheite -appears to be Matavai,, qa the-
north'fide of the ifland ; but there is anothér^of fenilar note in the,§, E
called Langarâs. ■ '
The-next ifland in regard ta T^eTsÛlïfea ; and th’tr others of this
gfeu&s even taken in its ufmoft extent,'l^ef of /a^^fe^îoB^menions- '
to Otaheite ; nor has any ftriking Angularity yet been ebfervbd which
migmf claim attention in a general ddexfptibn. In' hhitcIT loinp <fifT
ferenjf was remarked in the mode of cppftrudmgtte Morais,here com-
pofed of four walls built of eoràf roclç. The natives^of tte numerous
iflets to'the E- are faid to be'more'ferocipus than thofe ©f tfie illes
vifitwby ,Gook.
* Forfter, Obf. 21, fays that the Society i f e are encircled with’ reefs of eo'rai.-the fewer fill«
are of red oclirous earth, the higher of a kind of ai-giUàceôus rock, with éoarfe granite, or the ‘
faquin of Linnæus. Blade and grey bafalt is alfo found, - and it is fài.d; cryftals of native fnlphur.
Several' of the -rocks are full of fchorl, and" there i* lamellated-iron. ftone of a reddi/fi brown. The-
îyiendly ifles are fimilar.“