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and when Cook appeared, the king saluted him with dignity and respect, but with a manifest sense of the injustice that was practised upon him. His coolness and counsel kept the people from offering violence to the guards, who surrounded him with fixed bayonets; and the next day Feenou himself came forward, entreated for the release of the king, and assured Cook that the birds should be returned to him before sunset.

Thus the affair was happily terminated, leaving a much stronger proof of the firmness than of the prudence of the great navigator. The reconciliation was followed by magnificent presents of red feathers and provisions on the part of Feenou, and others equally valuable from Cook. He gave Poulaho some of the domestic animals, which he had brought from England for the purpose of distributing them among the islands. All parties separated mutually satisfied with each other, and with as warm tokens of friendship from the natives as could be expected after the recent transactions.

CHAPTER IV.

Society Islands. - Otaheite.

Language, Cus

toms, Religion, Laws, and Government of the Natives. Sandwich Islands discovered. —

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Nootka Sound. Cannibalism.

Practice of Sacrifices.

Origin and Bering's Strait. Cook sends Ledyard with two Indians in Search of a Russian Establishment. Returns to the Ships, and reports to Captain Cook. Sails to the Sandwich Islands.

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We shall next join our navigators at the Society Islands, where they arrived on the 14th of August. Many of the officers and seamen, who had been there on a former voyage, were recognized by the natives, and received with great cordiality. The day of landing at Otaheite was given up to festivity and mutual congratulations between old acquaint

ances.

The occurrences during their stay at these islands are related in a lively manner by Ledyard. He describes the natural productions of the Society Islands; the appearance and condition of the natives; their food, clothing, and houses; their language, customs, religion, laws, and government. From the minuteness with

which he speaks on most of these subjects, it is evident that the principal points in the essay mentioned by Mr. Burney were still fresh in his memory, and moreover that he was a close and inquisitive observer of everything, which came within his reach or knowledge.

"The inhabitants," he remarks, "are of the largest size of Europeans; the men are tall, strong, well limbed, and fairly shaped. The women of superior rank among them are also in general above our middle size, but those of the inferior rank are far below it; some of them are quite small. Their complexion is a clear olive, or brunette, and the whole contour of the face quite handsome, except the nose, which is generally a little inclined to be flat. Their hair is black and coarse; the men have beards, but pluck the greatest part of them out; they are vigorous, easy, graceful, and liberal in their deportment, and of a courteous, hospitable disposition, but shrewd and artful. The women cut their hair short, and the men wear theirs long. They have a custom of staining their bodies in a manner that is universal among all those islands, and is called by them tattooing. In doing this, they prick the skin with an instrument of small, sharp bones, which they dip, as occasion requires, into a black composition of coal dust and water,

which leaves an indelible stain.

The opera

tion is painful, and it is some days before the wound is well.

"Their clothing consists of a cloth made of the inner rind of the bark of three different kinds of trees, the Chinese paper mulberry, the bread-fruit tree, and a kind of wild fig tree, which, in the formation of different kinds of cloth, are differently disposed of by using one singly, or any two, or all of them together. The principal excellences of this cloth are its coolness and softness; its defects are its being pervious to water and easily torn. They sometimes, especially if it is wet, wear fine mats, of which they have a great variety.

"Their amusements are music, dancing, wrestling, and boxing, all which are like those of Tongataboo.

"As to the religion, laws, and government of these people, much has been said about them by former voyagers; and in truth too much, especially about their religion, which they are not fond of discovering, and therefore, when urged on the matter, they have often, rather than displease those who made the inquiry, told not only different accounts, but such as were utterly inconsistent with what we knew to be true from ocular demonstration.

They assured us, for instance, that

they never sacrificed human bodies, but an accident happened, that contradicted it, and gave us the full proof of it, the operation and design.

"They believe in the immortality of the soul, at least its existence in a future state; but how it exists, whether as a mere spiritual substance, or whether it is united again to a corporeal or material form, and what form, is uncertain. It is supposed they have notions of transmigration. Our conjectures originate from observing that universal, constant, and uniform regard, which they pay in a greater or less degree to every species of subordinate beings, even to the minutest insect, and the most insignificant reptile. This was never esteemed a philosophical sentiment, nor a mere dictate of nature, because the people who entertain these notions are not led to embrace them by the unbiased impulses of nature, which would lead them to regard their own species more than any other. It must, therefore, be from other motives, and I know of none so probable as religion or superstition, which are indeed synonymous terms when applied to these people; besides, it is well known to have been a religious sentiment among many other people, both ancient and modern, who have claimed the appellation of civilized.

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