s in this ocean. Our people, who had
been obliged to remain so long on shore, gave me the same account
of those parts of the island which they had traversed. They met with
several salt ponds, some of which had a little water remaining, but
others had none; and the salt that was left in them was so thin, that
no great quantity could have been procured. There was no appearance of
any running stream; and though they found some small wells, in which
the fresh water was tolerably good, it seemed scarce. The habitations
of the natives were thinly scattered about; and it was supposed, that
there could not be more than five hundred people upon the island, as
the greatest part were seen at the marketing-place of our party, and
few found about the houses by those who walked up the country. They
had an opportunity of observing the method of living amongst the
natives, and it appeared to be decent and cleanly. They did not,
however, see any instance of the men and women eating together; and
the latter seemed generally associated in companies by themselves. It
was found, that they burnt here the oily nuts of the _dooe dooe_ for
lights in the night, as at Otaheite; and that they baked their hogs
in ovens, but, contrary to the practice of the Society and Friendly
Islands, split the carcases through their whole length. They met
with a positive proof of the existence of the _taboo_ (or, as they
pronounce it, the _tafoo_), for one woman fed another who was
under that interdiction. They also observed some other mysterious
ceremonies; one of which was performed by a woman, who took a small
pig, and threw it into the surf, till it was drowned, and then tied up
a bundle of wood, which she also disposed of in the same manner. The
same woman, at another time, beat with a stick upon a man's shoulders,
who sat down for that purpose. A particular veneration seemed to be
paid here to owls, which they have very tame; and it was observed to
be a pretty general practice amongst them, to pull out one of their
teeth;[4] for which odd custom, when asked the reason, the only answer
that could be got was, that it was _teeha_, which was also the reason
assigned for another of their practices, the giving a lock of their
hair.

[Footnote 4: It is very remarkable, that, in this custom, which one
would think is so unnatural, as not to be adopted by two different
tribes, originally unconnected, the people of this island, and
Dampier's natives on the west side