he becomes noa, unclean for ever, and can never be offered in sacrifice. The victim is placed in a basket of cocoa-nut leaves fastened to a long pole, and carried in a sacred canoe to the morai, when the eye is offered to the king with the ceremonies before described.

If the chief and ratirras, on the requisition of the priests, declare they can find none deserving death in their district, or refuse to provide a human sacrifice, a hog may be substituted in his place: and it is considered as taking off something from the horror of the deed, that none are pitched upon whose lives have not been justly forfeited by their crimes.

The sacred ground round the morai affords a sanctuary for criminals. Thither, on any apprehension of danger, they flee, especially when numerous sacrifices are expected, and cannot be taken from thence by force, though they are sometimes seduced to quit their asylum. On the inauguration of Otoo many took refuge in the precincts of the mutineers' habitation, which was held sacred as the morai, and where they enjoyed full protection. The Missionaries' habitations will afford as assured an exemption; and the whole district of Matavai being ceded to them, no more human sacrifices will probably be demanded from that district: and such an example will have the most beneficial tendency to abolish the custom in other places. If they should be able only to put an end to a practice so inhuman, and to induce the females to preserve and commit to their nurture the in

fants devoted to destruction, they will feel themselves amply rewarded for their dangers and toils.

As soon as a child is born, a kind of hut is raised within the house with matting and cloth; heated stones are then placed, with sweet herbs and grass spread over them; on these water is sprinkled, and the woman' shut up in the steam which rises, till she is in such a perspiration, that she can endure the heat no longer; from this vapour-bath she comes out and plunges into the river, and washing herself all over puts on her clothes, and takes the child to the morai. This she repeats, and often brings on the ague; nor can they be persuaded to desist from so absurd a custom, such being the force of prejudice.

If the child touches any thing before it is taken to the morai, and sundry offerings (called amooa) are made, it must be wholly appropriated to their use, being raa, or sacred; and if any thing touches the child's head before the amooa is offered, it must be deposited in a consecrated place enclosed for that purpose; and if, in carrying it about, the head touches the branch of a tree, the tree must be cut down; and if in its fall it injures another, so as to penetrate the bark, that tree must be cut down as unclean and unfit for use.

The head is always regarded as sacred; after the ceremonies are performed, these demands cease, but they never carry any thing upon their heads, nor can they be touched without offence; and the cuttings of their hair are buried at the morai.

Both sexes go naked till they are six or seven

years of age; about thirteen or fourteen the operations of tattooing the males begin, and earlier for the females. The instruments employed for tattooing a chief, or head of a family, are always sent to the morai, and destroyed as soon as the work is completed. A person without the honourable marks made by tattooing, would be as much despised and shunned, as if with us he should go about the streets naked.

They bathe three times a day in fresh water, and always wash themselves in it after coming out of the sea; and though men and women are together, there is not the least immodesty permitted; they slip through their clothes without any indecent exposures-it would be condemned in a man as much as in a woman. In their dances alone, is immodesty allowed; there it appears the effect of habit or custom, as no person could ever be prevailed upon to do in any private company what, when they dance in public, is allowed without scruple. In fact, though chastity and modesty are not held in the same estimation as with us, yet many of their married women are said to pique themselves on its strict observance, and are not to be won at any rate, being only accessible to the husband's tayo. They never uncover their breasts but when they bathe, nor their bosoms and shoulders but in the presence of the chief.

They pay great attention to cleanliness, and the decorations of their persons, by extracting every hair from their nose, arm-pits, &c. to prevent its harbouring any dust. Their beards are neatly trimmed with shells, and their hair cut according to fancy. The

women, except those who affect to be prophetesses, wear their hair short and decked with flowers, and pay great attention to their persons. They adjust their brows and eyelashes, clipping them if too long, and forming the eyebrows into regular arches. The

men are as attentive to their persons, and will sit at the glass dressing with the greatest complaisance. A black cocoa-nut shell filled with water served them for a looking-glass, till they were supplied with what they so highly prized. Looking-glasses are an article of great value with them; for one of the commonest kind, from three to four inches square, a fine hog of about three hundred weight could be purchased; scissors also being a necessary appendage, were esteemed of equal value. Fish scales, or shells, formed their tweezers, the shark's teeth their scissors, and the bamboo their combs. Fragrant oil supplies the place of pomatum, and powder and civet can hardly furnish greater beaux. At their heivas (or dances) they put on their best, and dress in the most tawdry manner that fancy can suggest. Both sexes have their ears bored for ornaments; in which they wear pearls or beads, hanging down about two inches in a plait of hair; sometimes the hole of the ear is stuck with an odoriferous flower. They have pearls which they value very highly; and at first, our white beads, which resemble them, were much coveted; but when they found they were spoiled with water, they ceased to be regarded. As long as they are able to move, they bathe; the old, who can scarcely crawl, get down to the river; nor does any sickness or dis

ease prevent them; nothing but total inability keeps them from the water.

They are uniformly excellent swimmers and divers; it was affirmed that one of the natives swam from Otaheite to Eimeo; (15 miles ;) he was in consequence esteemed and worshipped as a god; for they declared that as the channel was infested with numerous sharks, and the distance so great, none but a god could pass safely.

They produce fire by the friction of wood, and with a quick motion rub a groove in the board placed at their feet till the dust produced takes fire; they have dried leaves or grass ready, into which they sweep this tinder dust, and wrapping it up, wave it in the wind till it is kindled into a flame.

They never suffer a fly to touch their food if they can help it and should they find one dead in their puddings, or any of their provisions, they throw it to the hogs. They all carry fly-flaps, which are usually made of feathers, and fixed to a handle of wood ten or twelve inches long, sometimes carved, sometimes plain. The wing-bones of the largest fowls, when cleaned, are used for handles; and if they have not these, they take a bough from the nearest tree. When you enter a house, or a place where provisions are cooking, this is the first thing they offer you. When the provisions are hot before you, the boys continue to fan away the flies, nothing being more offensive than for a fly to get into their mouths; and their aversion to touch them with their hands is such, that should a dead fly be found on any part of their body, they