“Some of them now proceeded to dig eight large round holes, each about a foot deep, into which they afterwards put a great quantity of dry wood, and covered it over with a number of stones.  They then set fire to the wood, which continued burning till the stones became red hot.  In the meantime, some of them were employed in stripping the bodies of my deceased shipmates, which they afterwards cut up, for the purpose of cooking them, having first washed them in the river, and then brought them and laid them down on several green boughs which had been broken off the trees and spread on the ground, near the fires, for that purpose.

“The stones being now red hot, the largest pieces of the burning wood were pulled from under them and thrown away, and some green bushes, having been first dipped in water, were laid round their edges, while they were at the same time covered over with a few green leaves.  The mangled bodies were then laid upon the top of the leaves, with a quantity of leaves also strewed over them; and after this a straw mat was spread over the top of each hole.  Lastly, about three pints of water were poured upon each mat, which, running through to the stones, caused a great steam, and then the whole was instantly covered with earth.

“They afterwards gave us some roasted fish to eat, and three women were employed in roasting fern-root for us.  When they had roasted it, they laid it on a stone, and beat it with a piece of wood, until it became soft like dough.  When cold again, however, it becomes hard, and snaps like gingerbread.  We ate but sparingly of what they gave us.  After this they took us to a house, and gave each of us a mat and some dried grass to sleep upon.  Here we spent the night, two of the chiefs sleeping along with us.

“We got up next morning as soon as it was daylight, as did also the two chiefs, and went and sat down outside the house.  Here we found a number of women busy in making baskets of green flax, into some of which, when they were finished, the bodies of our messmates, which had been cooking all night, were put, while others were filled with potatoes, which had been prepared by a similar process.

“I observed some of the children tearing the flesh from the bones of our comrades, before they were taken from the fires.  A short time after this the chiefs assembled, and, having seated themselves on the ground, the baskets were placed before them and they proceeded to divide the flesh among the multitude, at the rate of a basket among so many.  They also sent us a basket of potatoes and some of the flesh, which resembled pork; but instead of partaking of it we shuddered at the very idea of such an unnatural and horrid custom, and made a present of it to one of the natives.”