From their connection with the Europeans, they have entailed upon themselves that dreadful curse, the venereal disease; which, upon enquiry, evidently appeared to have been brought among them by the vessels under the command of Mons. Bougainville. It was called by a name somewhat similar, in meaning, to _rottenness_, but of a much stronger import; and they gave a most shocking account of the sufferings of those who were first infected with it; telling them, that their nails and hair fell off, and the flesh even rotted from their bones: and so greatly were they terrified at the dreadful effects of this alarming disease, that the infected person was forsaken even by his own relations, and left to perish by himself, in such a state of misery and pain as he had never before experienced.
The religion of these people appeared to be exceedingly mysterious; and as the language used on the occasion was different from that spoken in common, they were not able to obtain much information respecting it, but from what little they could learn from their friend Tupia, these Indians seemed to have adopted strange notions of the creation of the world; imagining that every thing was derived from procreation, and the conjunction of two persons. The supreme Deity, one of these two first Beings, they call TAROATAIHETOOMOO; and the other, TEPAPA. The year which is called TETTOWMATATAYO, is supposed to be the daughter of the two first. They also imagine, that there is an inferior race of Deities, whom they call EATUAS. They say, two of these Eatuas formerly inhabited the earth, and that the first man descended from them.
They emphatically stile the supreme Being, the _Causer of Earthquakes_; but their prayers are more generally addressed to _Tane_, supposed to be a son of the first progenitors of nature.
They believe in the existence of the soul in a separate state, and that there are two situations, differing in their degrees of happiness, which they consider as receptacles for different ranks, but not as places of reward and punishment; they suppose, that their Chiefs and principal people will have the preference to those of inferior rank, as they imagine their actions no way influence their future state, and that their Deities take no cognizance of them whatsoever.
The office of priest is hereditary; there are several of them, and of all ranks; the Chief is respected next to their Kings, and they are superior to the rest of the natives not only in point of divine knowledge, but also in that of navigation and astronomy.
[Illustration: _A Priest of the New Discovered Islands in the Habit of his Order._ _Tataowing Instruments._ _Ornaments for the Ears_]
The priests here are no way concerned with the ceremony of marriage, it being a simple agreement between the man and woman; and when they chuse to separate, it is done with as little ceremony as that of their marriage.
These people do not seem to be any way guilty of idolatry, as they worship no kind of images whatever. They enter their morais with great reverence and humility, and when they bring their offering to the altar, their body is uncovered to the waist.
There is a subordination among them, that much resembles the early state of every nation in Europe under the feudal system, which secured, to a small number, the most unrestrained liberty, while the rest were abject slaves.
Their ranks or orders are, _Earee rahie_, which signifies King; _Earee_, Baron; _Manahouni_, Vassal; and _Toutou_, Villain. The Earee rahie, of which there are two, one belonging to each of the peninsulas of which this island consists, had great respect shewn them by all ranks. The Earees are Lords of one or more of the districts, into which each of the peninsulas is divided; and they separate their territories into lots, which are given to the _Manahounies_, who respectively cultivate that share which they hold under the baron. But they are only nominal cultivators, this as well as all other laborious work being done by the _Toutous_, or lower class of people.
The Sovereign or Earee rahie, and the Baron or Earee, are succeeded in titles and honours by their children as soon as they are born, the fathers being immediately divested of them; but they remain possessors and managers of their estates.
In case of a general attack upon the island, every district, under the command of an Earee, furnishes a proportionate number of fighting men for the defence of the common cause, and they are commanded in chief by the Earee rahie.--According to Tupia’s account, the number furnished by the principal districts amounted to six thousand and upwards.
Slings, with which they are very dextrous, pikes headed with stone, and long clubs made of wood, remarkably hard and heavy, constitute their weapons. With these they fight with great obstinacy and cruelty, giving no quarter to either man, woman or child, if they fall into their hands in time of battle.
During the stay of the Endeavour, there was a perfect good understanding between the Earee rahies of the two peninsulas, though the Earee rahie of Tiarreboo, arrogated to himself the title of King of the whole island; which the other considered, as it really was, a mere nominal claim, and only a feather in his cap. There is nothing among them substituted for money, or a general medium, by which every object may be purchased or procured; neither can any permanent good be unlawfully obtained by force or fraud; and the general commerce with women, sets aside almost every excitement for committing adultery. In a word, in a government so little polished, though distributive justice cannot be regularly administered; as there can at the same time be but few crimes for the exercise of it, the want of this justice is not so severely felt, as it would be in more civilized societies.
Thursday July the 13th, after leaving the island of Otaheite, they sailed with a gentle breeze and clear weather; and were informed by Tupia, that four islands, which he called Huaheine, Ulietea, Otaha, and Bolabola, were at the distance of about one or two days sail, and that hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, which had lately been scarce, were to be got there in abundance. They accordingly steered their course in search of these islands, and on Saturday the 15th, discovered the island of Huaheine; and on the 16th, in the morning, they sounded near the north-west part of the island, but found no bottom with seventy fathom. Several canoes immediately put off, but they appeared fearful of coming near the ship, till they saw Tupia, which totally removed their apprehensions,and they ventured to come alongside, and upon assurances of friendship, the King of Huaheine and his Queen went on board. Astonishment was testified by their Majesties at every thing that was shewn them; yet they made no researches, and appeared satisfied with what was presented to their observation, making no enquiry after any other objects, though it was reasonable to suppose, that a building of such novelty and extent as the ship must have afforded many curiosities. The King, whose name was _Oree_, made a proposal to exchange names with Captain Cook, which was readily assented to. The custom of exchanging names is very prevalent in this island, and is considered as a mark of friendship. They found the people here nearly similar to those of Otaheite in almost every circumstance, except, if Tupia might be credited, they were not addicted to thieving. Having come to an anchor in a small but fine harbour, on the west side of the island, Captain Cook went ashore, accompanied by Mr. Banks and some other gentlemen, with Tupia and the King. The instant they landed, Tupia uncovered himself as low as his waist, and desired Mr. Monkhouse to follow his example. Being seated, he now begun a speech, which lasted about twenty minutes; the King, who stood opposite to him, answering in what seemed to be set replies. During this discourse he delivered, at different times, a handkerchief, a black silk neckcloth, some beads and plantains, as presents to their Eatua, or Deity. He received in return for the Eatua, of the English, a hog, some young plantains, and two bunches of feathers, which were carried on board. These ceremonies were considered as a kind of ratification of a treaty between the English and the King of Huaheine.
On the 17th they went again on shore, and walked up into the country, the productions of which greatly resembled those of Otaheite; the rocks and clay seemed, however, more burnt; the boat-houses were large, and the other houses neat. The level part of the country affords the most beautiful landscapes that the imagination can possibly form an idea of; the soil is exceedingly fertile, and the shores are lined with fruit trees of different kinds, particularly the cocoa-nut, which was seen in great abundance.
They also went on shore on the 18th without Tupia, but his boy, whose name was Tayota, accompanied them, and Mr. Banks proposed taking a more perfect view of a kind of chest, or ark, which he had before observed; the lid of this ark was sewed on in a peculiar manner, and thatched with palm-nut leaves. It was placed upon two poles, and sustained on small carved arches of wood, the poles served to remove it from one place to another, in the manner of a sedan chair; it is very surprising, that this chest was of a form greatly resembling the ark of the Lord among the Jews; but what was still more extraordinary, the boy informed them, that it was called _Ewharre no Eatua_, _the house of the God_, but he could give no account of its meaning or utility: with some difficulty they negotiated for eleven pigs, and were not without hopes of obtaining more the next morning.