cept an old man and a child, who still
kept aloof, but stood peeping at us from the woods. Of these people, our
curiosity naturally led us to enquire after the body of the woman, which
we had seen floating upon the water: And they acquainted us, by Tupia,
that she was a relation, who had died a natural death; and that,
according to their custom, they had tied a stone to the body, and thrown
it into the sea, which stone, they supposed, had by some accident been
disengaged.

This family, when we came on shore, was employed in dressing some
provisions: The body of a dog was at this time buried in their oven, and
many provision baskets stood near it. Having cast our eyes carelessly
into one of these as we passed it, we saw two bones pretty cleanly
picked, which did not seem to be the bones of a dog, and which, upon a
nearer examination, we discovered to be those of a human body. At this
sight we were struck with horror, though it was only a confirmation of
what we had heard many times since we arrived upon this coast. As we
could have no doubt but the bones were human, neither could we have any
doubt that the flesh which covered them had been eaten. They were found
in a provision basket; the flesh that remained appeared manifestly to
have been dressed by fire, and in the gristles at the end, were the
marks of the teeth which had gnawed them: To put an end, however, to
conjecture, founded upon circumstances and appearances, we directed
Tupia to ask what bones they were; and the Indians, without the least
hesitation, answered, the bones of a man: They were then asked what was
become of the flesh, and they replied that they had eaten it; but, said
Tupia, why did you not eat the body of the woman which we saw floating
upon the water: The woman, said they, died of disease; besides, she was
our relation, and we eat only the bodies of our enemies, who are killed
in battle. Upon enquiry who the man was whose bones we had found, they
told us, that about five days before, a boat belonging to their enemies
came into the bay, with many persons on board, and that this man was one
of seven whom they had killed. Though stronger evidence of this horrid
practice prevailing among the inhabitants of this coast will scarcely be
required, we have still stronger to give. One of us asked if they had
any human bones with the flesh remaining upon them, and upon their
answering us that all had been eaten, we affected to disbelieve that the
bones wer