e of my former voyage, it will
be unnecessary to take notice of these subjects in this, unless where I can
add new matter, or clear up any mistakes which may have been committed.

As I had some reason to believe, that amongst their religious customs,
human sacrifices were sometimes considered as necessary, I went one day to
a _Marai_ in Matavai, in company with Captain Furneaux; having with
us, as I had upon all other occasions, one of my men who spoke their
language tolerably well, and several of the natives, one of whom appeared
to be an intelligent sensible man. In the _Marai_ was a
_Tupapow_, on which lay a corpse and some viands; so that every thing
promised success to my enquiries. I began with asking questions relating to
the several objects before me, if the plantains, &c. were for the
_Eatua_? If they sacrificed to the _Eatua_, hogs, dogs, fowls,
&c.? To all of which he answered in the affirmative. I then asked, If they
sacrificed men to the _Eatua_? He answered _Taata eno_; that is,
bad men they did, first _Tipperahy_, or beating them till they were
dead. I then asked him, If good men were put to death in this manner? His
answer was No, only _Taata eno_. I asked him if any _Earees_
were? He said, they had hogs to give to the _Eatua_, and again
repeated _Taatu eno_. I next asked, If _Towtows_, that is,
servants or slaves, who had no hogs, dogs, or fowls, but yet were good men,
if they were sacrificed to the _Eatua_? His answer was No, only bad
men. I asked him several more questions, and all his answers seemed to tend
to this one point, that men for certain crimes were condemned to be
sacrificed to the gods, provided they had not wherewithal to redeem
themselves. This, I think, implies, that on some occasions, human
sacrifices are considered as necessary, particularly when they take such
men as have, by the laws of their country, forfeited their lives, and have
nothing to redeem them; and such will generally be found among the lower
class of people.

The man of whom I made these enquiries, as well as some others, took some
pains to explain the whole of this custom to us; but we were not masters
enough of their language to understand them. I have since learnt from Omai,
that they offer human sacrifices to the Supreme Being. According to his
account, what men shall be so sacrificed, depends on the caprice of the
high priest, who, when they are assembled on any solemn occasion, retires
alone into the house of God