The produce of the islands, the manners and customs of the natives, &c. having been treated at large in the narrative 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, and stays there some time.  When he comes out, he informs them, that he has seen and conversed with their great God (the high priest alone having that privilege), and that he has asked for a human sacrifice, and tells them that he has desired such a person, naming a man present, whom, most probably, the priest has an antipathy against.  He is immediately