Chapter XXI: Book II (11)

It may be necessary to mention here, on the authority of Captain King,
that Captain Cook was very unwilling to allow that the hair of the
natives now met with in Adventure Bay was _woolly_, fancying that his
people, who first observed this, had been deceived, from its being
clotted with grease and red ochre. But Captain King prevailed upon him
afterward to examine carefully the hair of the boys, which was
generally, as well as that of the women, free from this dirt; and then
he owned himself satisfied that it was naturally _woolly_. Perhaps we
may suppose it possible, that he himself had been deceived when he was
in Endeavour River, from this very circumstance; as he expressly says,
that _they saw none that was not matted and filthy_.

Footnote 146:

And yet Dampier’s New Hollanders, on the western coast, bear a
striking resemblance to Captain Cook’s at Van Diemen’s Land, in many
remarkable instances:

1st, As to their becoming familiar with the strangers.

2dly, As to their persons; being straight-bodied, and thin; their skin
black; and black, short, curled hair, like the negroes of Guinea; with
wide mouths.

3dly, As to their wretched condition; having no houses, no garment, no
canoes, no instrument to catch large fish; feeding on broiled muscles,
cockles, and periwinckles; having no fruits of the earth; their
weapons a straight pole, sharpened and hardened at the end, &c. &c.

The chief peculiarities of Dampier’s _miserable wretches_ are, 1st,
Their eye-lids being always half closed, to keep the flies out, which
were excessively troublesome there: and, 2dly, Their wanting the two
fore-teeth of the upper jaw, and their having no beards. See _Dampier
s Voyages_, vol. i. p. 464, &c. There seems to be no reason for
supposing that Dampier was mistaken in the above account of what he
saw.

Footnote 147:

Captain Cook’s account of the natives of Van Diemen’s Land, in this
chapter, no doubt proves that they differ, _in many respects_, as he
says, from the inhabitants of the more northerly parts of the east
coast of New Holland, whom he met with in his first voyage. It seems
very remarkable, however, that the only woman any of his people came
close to in Botany Bay, should have _her hair cropped short_; while
the man who was with her, is said to have had _the hair of his head
bushy, and his beard long and rough_. See Vol. II. p. 87. of this
Edition. Could the natives of Van Diemen’s Land be more accurately
described, than by saying that the hair of the men’s heads is _bushy,
and their beards long and rough, and that the women’s hair is cropped
short_? So far north, therefore, as Botany Bay, the natives of the
east coast of New Holland seem to resemble those of Van Diemen’s Land
in this circumstance.

Footnote 148:

Vol. III. chap. vii.

Footnote 149:

Vol. II. p. 167. of this Edition of Cook’s Voyages.

Footnote 150:

Ibid. p. 159.

Footnote 151:

Tom. ii. p. 211. 12mo. Planche xvii.

Footnote 152:

_Iter Palæstinum._

Footnote 153:

Tasman, when in the bay of Frederick Henry, adjoining to Adventure
Bay, found two trees, one of which was two fathoms, and the other two
fathoms and a half in girth, and sixty or sixty-five feet high, from
the root to the branches. See his _Voyage, in Harris’s Collection,
Campbell’s Edition_, vol. i. p. 326.

Footnote 154:

The ingenious Author of _Récherches sur les Américains_, illustrates
the grounds of this assertion in the following satisfactory manner:
“C’est quelque chose de surprenant, que la foule des idiomes, tous
variés entr’eux, que parlent les naturels de l’Amérique
Septentrionale. Qu’on réduise ces idiomes à des racines, qu’on les
simplifie, qu’on en sépare les dialectes et les jargons dérivés, il en
resulte toujours cinq ou six langues-mères, respectivement
incomprehensibles. On a observé la même singularité dans la Sibérie et
la Tartarie, où le nombre des idiomes, et des dialectes, est également
multiplié; et rien n’est plus commun, que d’y voir deux hordes
voisines qui ne se comprennent point. On rétrouve cette même
multiplicité de jargons dans toutes les Provinces de l’Amérique
Méridionale.” [He might also have included Africa.] “Il y a beaucoup
d’apparence que _la vie sauvage, en dispersant les hommes par petites
troupes isolées dans des bois épais, occasione nécessairement cette
grande diversité des langues_ dont le nombre diminue à mesure que la
société, en rassemblant les barbares vagabonds, en forme un corps de
nation. Alors l’idiome le plus riche, ou le moins pauvre en mots,
devient dominant, et absorbe les autres.” Tom. i. p. 159, 160.

Footnote 155:

Dampier seems to be of this opinion. Vol. iii, p. 104, 125.

Footnote 156:

We find Mr. Anderson’s notions on this subject conformable to those of
Mr. Marsden, who has remarked, “that one general language prevailed
(however mutilated and changed in the course of time) throughout all
this portion of the world, from Madagascar to the most distant
discoveries eastward; of which the Malay is a dialect, much corrupted
or refined by a mixture of other tongues. This very extensive
similarity of language indicates a common origin of the inhabitants;
but the circumstances and progress of their separation are wrapped in
the darkest veil of obscurity.” _History of Sumatra_, p. 35.

See also his very curious paper, read before the Society of
Antiquaries, and published in their _Archæologia_, vol. vi. p. 155;
where his sentiments on this subject are explained more at large, and
illustrated by two tables of corresponding words.

Footnote 157:

See the chart of Queen Charlotte’s Sound, in Hawkesworth’s Collection,
vol. ii. p. 385.

Footnote 158:

In 1772.

Footnote 159:

See Vol. I. p. 383.

Footnote 160:

See Vol. III. p. 132.

Footnote 161:

See Vol. IV. p. 145.

Footnote 162:

See Vol. IV. p. 144.

Footnote 163:

See his Narrative, Vol. IV. p. 232.

Footnote 164:

In a separate memorandum-book, Mr. Anderson mentions the monstrous
animal of the lizard kind, described by the two boys after they left
the island.

Footnote 165:

See Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. iii. p. 474, 475, and Captain
Cook’s Voyage, Vol. ii. p. 364.

Footnote 166:

A very ingenious and satisfactory account of the cause of the surf, is
to be met with in Marsden’s History of Sumatra, p. 29. 32.

Footnote 167:

The inhabitants of the Palaos, New Philippine, or rather Caroline
Islands, at the distance of almost fifteen hundred leagues from
Mangeea, have the same mode of salutation. “Leur civilité, et la
marque de leur respect, consiste à prendre la main ou le pied de celui
à qui ils veulent faire honneur, et s’en frotter doucement tout le
visage.” _Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 208. Edit.
1781.

Footnote 168:

Something like this ceremony was performed by the inhabitants of the
Marquesas, when Captain Cook visited them in 1774. _See his 2d
Voyage_, Vol. III. It is curious to observe, at what immense distances
this mode of receiving strangers prevails.—Padillo, who sailed from
Manilla in 1710, on a voyage to discover the Palaos Islands, was thus
received there. The writer of the relation of his voyage says,
“Aussitôt qu’ils approchèrent de notre bord, ils se mirent à chanter.
Ils régloient la cadence, en frappant des mains sur leurs cuisses.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 323.

Footnote 169:

The dances of the inhabitants of the Caroline Islands have a great
resemblance to those here described. See _Lettres Edif. et Curieuses_,
tom. xv. p. 315. See also, in the same volume, p. 207, what is said of
the singing and dancing of the inhabitants of the Palaos Islands,
which belong to the same group.

Footnote 170:

Such accidents as this here related, probably happen frequently in the
Pacific Ocean. In 1696, two canoes, having on board thirty persons of
both sexes, were driven by contrary winds and tempestuous weather, on
the isle of Samal, one of the Philippines, after being tost about at
sea seventy days, and having performed a voyage from an island called
by them Amorsot, 300 leagues to the east of Samal. Five of the number
who had embarked, died of the hardships suffered during this
extraordinary passage. See a particular account of them, and of the
islands they belonged to, in _Lettres Edifiantes and Curieuses_, tom.
xv. from p. 196 to p. 215. In the same volume, from p. 282 to p. 320,
we have the relation of a similar adventure, in 1721, when two canoes,
one containing twenty-four, and the other six persons, men, women, and
children, were driven from an island they called Farroilep, northward
to the isle of Guam, or Guahan, one of the Ladrones or Mariannes. But
these had not sailed so far as their countrymen, who reached Samal as
above, and they had been at sea only twenty days. There seems to be no
reason to doubt the general authenticity of these two relations. The
information contained in the letters of the Jesuits, about these
islands, now known under the name of the Carolines, and discovered to
the Spaniards by the arrival of the canoes at Samal and Guam, has been
adopted by all our later writers. See President de Brosse’s _Voyages
aux Terres Australes_, tom. ii. from p. 443. to p. 490. See also the
_Modern Universal History_.

Footnote 171:

See Vol. III. book ii. chap. 1., where this island is said to be about
six leagues in circuit.

Footnote 172:

The reader will observe, that this name bears little affinity to any
one of the names of the three chiefs of Wateeoo, as preserved by Mr.
Anderson.

Footnote 173:

See Vol. IV. p. 2., 5.

Footnote 174:

Mr. Anderson, in his journal, mentions the following particulars,
relative to Palmerston’s Island, which strongly confirm Captain Cook’s
opinion about its formation. “On the last of the two islots, where we
landed, the trees, being in great numbers, had already formed, by
their rotten parts, little risings or eminences, which, in time, from
the same cause, may become small hills. Whereas, on the first islot,
the trees being less numerous, no such thing had as yet happened.
Nevertheless, on that little spot, the manner of formation was more
plainly pointed out. For, adjoining to it, was a small isle, which
had, doubtless, been very lately formed; as it was not, as yet,
covered with any trees, but had a great many shrubs, some of which
were growing among pieces of coral, that the sea had thrown up. There
was still a more sure proof of this method of formation a little
farther on, where two patches of sand, about fifty yards long, and a
foot or eighteen inches high, lay upon the reef, but not, as yet,
furnished with a single bush or tree.”

Footnote 175:

For an account of the discovery of Savage Island; a description of it;
and the behaviour of its inhabitants, on Captain Cook’s landing, see
Vol. IV. p. 3. to p. 6.

Footnote 176:

That is, Little Annamooka.

Footnote 177:

See Captain Cook’s last Voyage, Vol. IV. p. 7.

Footnote 178:

See Tasman’s account of this island, in Mr. Dalrymple’s valuable
Collection of Voyages to the Pacific Ocean, vol. ii. p. 79, 80. The
few particulars mentioned by Tasman, agree remarkably with Captain
Cook’s more extended relation.

Footnote 179:

As a proof of the great difficulty of knowing accurately the exact
names of the South Sea Islands, as procured from the natives, I
observe that what Captain Cook calls _Aghao_, Mr. Anderson calls
_Kao_; and Tasman’s drawing, as I find it in Mr. Dalrymple’s
Collection of Voyages, gives the name of _Kaybay_ to the same island.
Tasman’s and Captain Cook’s _Amattafoa_, is, with Mr. Anderson,
_Tofoa_. Captain Cook’s _Komango_, is Tasman’s _Amango_. There is
scarcely an instance in which such variations are not observable. Mr.
Anderson’s great attention to matters of this sort being, as we learn
from Captain King, well known to every body on board, and admitted
always by Captain Cook himself, his mode of spelling has been adopted
on the engraved chart of the Friendly Islands, which has made it
necessary to adopt it also, in printing the journal.

Footnote 180:

Mr. Anderson’s account of the night dances being much fuller than
Captain Cook’s, the reader will not be displeased that it has been
adopted.

Footnote 181:

In a former note, at p. 258. it was observed, that the songs and
dances of the Caroline Islanders, in the north Pacific, bear a great
resemblance to those of the inhabitants of Wateeoo. The remark may be
now extended to those of the Friendly Islanders, described at large in
this chapter. That the reader may judge for himself, I have selected
the following particulars from Father Cantova’s account. “Pendant la
nuit, au clair de la lune, ils s’assemblent, de temps en temps, pour
chanter et danser devant la maison de leur _Tamole_. Leurs danses se
font au son de la voix, car ils n’ont point d’instrument de musique.
La beauté de la danse, consiste dans l’exacte uniformité des mouvemens
du corps. Les hommes, séparés des femmes, se postent vis-à-vis les uns
des autres; après quoi, ils remuent la tête, les bras, les mains, les
pieds, en cadence.—Leur tête est couverte de plumes, ou de fleurs; et
l’on voit, attachées à leurs oreilles, des feuilles de palmier tissues
avec assez d’art.—Les femmes, de leur côté, se regardant les unes les
autres, commencent un chant pathétique et langoureux, accompagnant le
son de leur voix du mouvement cadencé de la tête et des bras.”
_Lettres Edifiantes & Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 314, 315.

Footnote 182:

See Vol. III. book ii. ch. 2. The name of this extraordinary personage
is there said to be _Kohagee-too Fallangou_; which cannot, by the most
skilful etymologist, be tortured into the least most distant
resemblance of _Latooliboula_. It is remarkable, that Captain Cook
should not take any notice of his having called the same person by two
names so very different. Perhaps we may account for this by supposing
one to be the name of the person, and the other the description of his
title or rank. This supposition seems well founded, when we consider,
that _Latoo_, in the language of these people, is sometimes used to
signify a great chief; and Dr. Foster, in his _Observations_, p. 378,
379, and elsewhere, speaks of the sovereign of Tongataboo, under the
title of their _Latoo_. This very person is called by Dr. Foster, p.
370, _Latoo-Nipooroo_; which furnishes a very striking instance of the
variations of our people in writing down the same word as pronounced
by the natives. However, we can easily trace the affinity between
_Nipooroo_ and _Liboula_, as the changes of the consonants are such as
are perpetually made, upon hearing a word pronounced, to which our
ears have not been accustomed. Mr. Anderson here agrees with Captain
Cook in writing Latooliboula.

Footnote 183:

_Tangata_, in their language is man; _Arekee_, king.

Footnote 184:

Marks of profound respect, very similar to those paid by natives of
the Friendly Islands to their sovereign, are also paid to the
principal chiefs, or _Tamoles_ of the Caroline Islands, as appears
from father Cantova’s account here transcribed. “Lorsqu’un _Tamole_
donne audience, il paroît assis sur une table élevée: les peuples
s’inclinent devant lui jusqu’à terre; et du plus loin qu’ils arrivent,
ils marchent, le corps tout courbé, et la tête presqu’entre les
génoux, jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient auprès de sa personne; alors ils
s’asséyent à plate terre; et, les yeux baissés, ils reçoivent ses
ordres avec le plus profond respect. Quand le _Tamole_ les congedie,
ils se retirent, en se courbant de la même manière que quand ils sont
venus, et ne se relèvent que lorsqu’ils sont hors de sa présence. Ses
paroles sont autant d’oracles qu’on revère; on rend à ses ordres une
obeissance aveugle; enfin, on baise les mains et les pieds, quand on
lui demande quelque grace.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 312, 313.

Footnote 185:

The same sort of evening concert is performed round the house of the
chief, or _Tamole_, at the Caroline Islands. “Le _Tamole_ ne s’endort
qu’au bruit d’un concert de musique que forme une troupe de jeunes
gens, qui s’assemblent le soir, autour de sa maison, et qui chantent,
à leur manière, certaines poësies.” _Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_,
tom. xv. p. 314.

Footnote 186:

See Vol. I. p. 209.

Footnote 187:

Mr. Anderson’s description of the entertainments of this day being
much fuller than Captain Cook’s, it has been adopted, as on a former
occasion.

Footnote 188:

The burying-places of the chiefs at the Caroline Islands, are also
inclosed in this manner. See _Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom.
xv. p. 309.

Footnote 189:

The following account of _kava_, to the end of this paragraph, is
inserted from Mr. Anderson’s journal.

Footnote 190:

From the 4th to the 7th of October.

Footnote 191:

See his _Characteres Generum Plantarum_. Lond. 1776.

Footnote 192:

_Voyage à la Nouvelle Guinée_, Tab. cii.

Footnote 193:

This is the _fiatooka_ mentioned above by Mr. Anderson, p. 379.

Footnote 194:

See p. 371.

Footnote 195:

In the account of Captain Cook’s former Voyage, he calls the only
chief he then met with at this place, _Tioony_. See Vol. III. p. 200.

Footnote 196:

Those islands; which the natives represented as large ones, are
distinguished in Italics.

Footnote 197:

Tasman saw eighteen or twenty of these small islands, every one of
which was surrounded with sands, shoals, and rocks. They are also
called, in some charts, _Heemskirk’s Banks_. See Dalrymple’s
Collection of Voyages to the South Pacific Ocean, vol. ii. p. 83.; and
Campbell’s edition of Harris’s, vol. i. p. 325.

Footnote 198:

See Captain Wallis’s Voyage, in Hawkesworth’s Collection, vol. i. p.
492-494. Captain Wallis there calls both these islands _high ones_.
But the superior height of one of them may be inferred, from his
saying, that it appears _like a sugar-loaf_. This strongly marks its
resemblance to Kao. From comparing Poulaho’s intelligence to Captain
Cook, with Captain Wallis’s account, it seems to be past all doubt,
that Boscawen’s Island is our Kootahee, and Keppel’s Island our
Neeootabootaboo. The last is one of the large islands marked in the
foregoing list. The reader, who has been already apprized of the
variations of our people in writing down what the natives pronounced,
will hardly doubt that Kottejeea and Kootahee are the same.

Footnote 199:

Neither Dalrymple nor Campbell, in their accounts of Tasman’s voyage,
take any particular notice of his having seen such an island. The
chart here referred to by Captain Cook is probably Mr. Dalrymple’s, in
his Collection of Voyages, where Tasman’s track is marked accurately;
and several very small spots of land are laid down in the situation
here mentioned.

Footnote 200:

In two or three preceding notes, extracts have been made from the
_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, as marking a strong resemblance
between some of the customs of the inhabitants of the Caroline
Islands, and those which Captain Cook describes as prevailing at an
immense distance in the islands which he visited in the South Pacific
Ocean. Possibly, however, the presumption, arising from this
resemblance, that all these islands were peopled by the same nation,
or tribe, may be resisted under the plausible pretence, that customs
very similar prevail amongst very distant people, without inferring
any other common source, besides the general principles of human
nature, the same in all ages, and every part of the globe. The reader,
perhaps, will not think this pretence applicable to the matter before
us, if he attends to the following very obvious distinction: Those
customs which have their foundation in wants that are common to the
whole human species, and which are confined to the contrivance of
means to relieve those wants, may well be supposed to bear a strong
resemblance, without warranting the conclusion, that they who use them
have copied each other, or have derived them from one common source;
human sagacity being the same every where, and the means adapted to
the relief of any particular natural want, especially in countries
similarly uncultivated, being but few. Thus the most distant tribes,
as widely separated as Terra del Fuego is from the islands east of
Kamtschatka, may, both of them, produce their fire by rubbing two
sticks upon each other, without giving us the least foundation for
supposing, that either of them imitated the other, or derived the
invention from a source of instruction common to both. But this seems
not to be the case with regard to those customs to which no general
principle of human nature has given birth, and which have their
establishment solely from the endless varieties of local whim, and
national fashion. Of this latter kind, those customs obviously are,
that belong both to the North, and to the South Pacific Islands, from
which, we would infer, that they were originally one nation; and the
men of Mangeea, and the men of the New Philippines, who pay their
respects to a person whom they mean to honour, by rubbing his hand
over their faces, bid fair to have learned their mode of salutation in
the same school. But if this observation should not have removed the
doubts of the sceptical refiner, probably he will hardly venture to
persist in denying the identity of race, contended for in the present
instance, when he shall observe, that, to the proof drawn from
affinity of customs, we have it in our power to add that most
unexceptionable one, drawn from affinity of language. _Tamoloa_, we
now know, is the word used at Hamoa, one of the Friendly Islands, to
signify a chief; and whoever looks into the _Lettres Edifiantes et
Curieuses_, will see that this is the very name by which the
inhabitants of the Caroline Islands distinguish their principal men.
We have in two preceding notes, inserted passages from Father
Cantova’s account of them, where their _Tamoles_ are spoken of; and he
repeats the word at least a dozen times, in the course of a few pages.
But I cannot avoid transcribing from him, the following very decisive
testimony, which renders any other quotation superfluous. “L’autorité
du gouvernement se partage entre plusieurs familles nobles, dont les
chefs s’appellent _Tamoles_. Il y a outre cela, dans chaque province,
un principal _Tamole_, auquel tous les autres sont soumis.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 312.

Footnote 201:

Vol. III. p. 218, 219.

Footnote 202:

Ibid. p. 220, &c.

Footnote 203:

See Vol. IV. p. 19., where Captain Cook gives a particular account of
meeting with a person afflicted with this disease, at Annamooka, on
his landing there in 1773.

Footnote 204:

So at the Caroline Islands. “Ils sont accoutumés à se baigner trois
fois le jour, le matin, à midi, et sur le soir.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 314.

Footnote 205:

How remarkably does Captain Cook’s account of the employments of the
women and men here, agree with Father Cantova’s, of the Caroline
Islanders!—“La principale occupation des hommes, est de construire des
barques, de pêcher, et de cultiver la terre. L’affaire des femmes est
de faire la cuisine, et de mettre en œuvre un espèce de plante
sauvage, et un arbre, pour en faire de la toile.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 313.

Footnote 206:

Vol. III. p. 222, 223. The reader, by comparing that account, with
what Cantova says of the sea-boats of the Caroline Islands, will find,
in this instance, also, the greatest similarity. See _Lettres
Edifiantes et Curieuses_, p. 286.

Footnote 207:

Cantova says of his islanders, “Ils prennent leur repos dès que le
soleil est couché, et ils se levent avec l’aurore.” _Lettres
Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 314.

Footnote 208:

If, to the copious descriptions that occur in the preceding pages, of
the particular entertainments exhibited in Hapaee and Tongataboo, we
add the general view of the usual amusements of the inhabitants of
these islands, contained in this paragraph, and compare it with the
quotations from the Jesuit’s Letters, in a former note (p. 255.), we
shall be still more forcibly struck with the reasonableness of tracing
such singularly resembling customs to one common source. The argument,
in confirmation of this, drawn from identity of language, has been
already illustrated, by observing the remarkable coincidence of the
name by which the chiefs at the Caroline Islands, and those at Hamao,
one of the Friendly ones, are distinguished. But the argument does not
rest on a single instance, though that happens to be a very striking
one. Another of the very few specimens of the dialect of the North
Pacific islanders, preserved by father Cantova, furnishes an
additional proof. Immediately after the passage above referred to, he
proceeds thus: “Ce divertissement s’appelle, en leur langue, _tanger
ifaifil_; qui veut dire, la plainte des femmes.” _Lettres Edifiantes
et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 315. Now, it is very remarkable, that we
learn from Mr. Anderson’s collection of words, which will appear in
this chapter, that _la plainte des femmes_, or, in English, _the
mournful song of the women_, which the inhabitants of the Caroline
Islands express in their language _tanger ifaifil_, would, by those of
Tongataboo, be expressed _tangee vefaine_.

If any one should still doubt, in spite of this evidence, it may be
recommended to his consideration, that long separation and other
causes have introduced greater variations in the mode of pronouncing
these two words, at places confessedly inhabited by the same race,
than subsist in the specimen just given. It appears, from Mr.
Anderson’s vocabulary, printed in Captain Cook’s second voyage, that
what is pronounced _tangee_ at the Friendly Islands, is _taee_ at
Otaheite: and the _vefaine_ of the former, is the _waheine_ of the
latter.

Footnote 209:

Cantova says of his Caroline islanders, “La pluralité des femmes est
non seulement permise à tous ces insulaires, elle est encore une
marque d’honneur et de distinction. Le _Tamole_ de l’isle d’Huogoleu
en a neuf.”—_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 310.

Footnote 210:

At the Caroline Islands, “Ils ont horreur de l’adultère, comme d’un
grand péché.” _Ibid._ tom. xv. p. 310.

Footnote 211:

How the inhabitants of the Caroline Islands express their grief on
such occasions, may be seen, _Ibid._ tom. xv. p. 308.

Footnote 212:

Cantova’s account of the practice of the Caroline Islands is as
follows: “Lorsqu’il meurt, quelque personne d’un rang distingu, ou qui
leur est chère par d’autres endroits, ses obsèques se font avec pompe.
Il y en a qui renferment le corps du défunct dans un petit édifice de
pierre, qu’ils gardent au-dedans de leurs maisons. D’autres les
enterrent loin de leurs habitations.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 308, 309.

Footnote 213:

See Vol. III. p. 228.

Footnote 214:

It may be proper to mention here, on the authority of Captain King,
that it is common for the inferior people to cut off a joint of their
little finger, on account of the sickness of the chiefs to whom they
belong.

Footnote 215:

This is peculiar to the men; the women always sitting with both legs
thrown a little on one side. We owe this remark to Captain King.

Footnote 216:

Cantova gives us the same account of the profound submission of the
Caroline Islanders to the orders of the _Tamole_. “Ils reçoivent ses
ordres avec le plus profond respect. Ses paroles sont autant d’oracles
qu’on révère.”

_Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses_, tom. xv. p. 312.

Footnote 217:

The reader need not be reminded that _Tamoloa_, which signifies a
chief, in the dialect of Hamao and _Tammaha_, become the same word, by
the change of a single letter, the articulation of which is not very
strongly marked.

Footnote 218:

See this vocabulary, at the end of vol. ii. of Dalrymple’s Collection
of Voyages. And yet, though Tasman’s people used the words of this
vocabulary, in speaking to the natives of Tongataboo (his Amsterdam),
we are told in the accounts of his voyage, that they did not
understand one another; a circumstance worth observing, as it shows
how cautious we should be, upon the scanty evidence afforded by such
transient visits as Tasman’s, and, indeed, as those of most of the
subsequent navigators of the Pacific Ocean, to found any argument
about the affinity, or want of affinity, of the languages of the
different islands. No one now will venture to say, that a Cocos man,
and one of Tongataboo, could not understand each other. Some of the
words of Horn Island, another of Schouten’s discoveries, also belong
to the dialect of Tongataboo. See _Dalrymple_, as above.

Transcriber’s Note

This book uses inconsistent spelling and hyphenation, which were retained in the ebook version. Some corrections have been made to the text, including normalizing punctuation. Further corrections are noted below:

p. iv: Specicimen of thier Language -> Specimen of their Language p. 31: produce intermediate disovaries -> produce intermediate discoveries p. 32: in the the latitude of -> in the latitude of p. 42: the fabric of inposture -> the fabric of imposture p. 73: the name asumed by the inhabitants -> the name assumed by the inhabitants p. 95: the watch watch gave 1° -> the watch gave 1° p. 112: China and japan -> China and Japan p. 115: PRECAUTIONS AGANST THE RAIN -> PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE RAIN Footnote A p. 116: worth while to obseve here -> worth while o observe here p. 130: some artifical work -> some artificial work p. 142: a prodigious sea runing -> a prodigious sea running Footnote 91: not the orginal discoverer -> to the original discoverer p. 155: which lie of Chrismas Harbour -> which lie of Christmas Harbour Footnote 145: the most stiking difference -> the most striking difference Footnote 156: two tables of coresponding words -> two tables of corresponding words p. 183: gratification which they they have -> gratification which they have p. 217: which the New Zelanders distinguish -> which the New Zealanders distinguish p. 218: subsequent visiters from Europe -> subsequent visiors from Europe p. 229: and theirwork is often ornamented -> and their work is often ornamented p. 242: at day-dreak the next morning -> at day-break the next morning p. 261: the busines we came upon -> the business we came upon p. 263: victuals that that had been -> victuals that had been p. 267: roots which they all _taro_ -> roots which they call _taro_ p. 269: the whole assemly -> the whole assembly illustration facing p. 301: View at Anamooka -> View at Annamooka p. 322: I applied to Fenou -> I applied to Feenou p. 330: anchorage and a a passage -> anchorage and a passage p. 332: fetch in with Fotooha -> fetch in with Footooha p. 332; clear of the the shoals -> clear of the shoals p. 348: Young Fattafaihe following -> Young Futtahaihe following p. 357: had not danced defore -> had not danced before p. 365: on our asking the reason, the said -> on our asking the reason, they said p. 408: it seems all of of them -> it seems all of them p. 409: strong ripling and whirpools -> strong riplings and whirlpools p. 443: EMPLOYMENTS OE THE WOMEN -> EMPLOYMENTS OF THE WOMEN p. 447: unmaried men and women -> unmarried men and women