A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15.
Tamolao,[177] a chief man.
Tamaety,    a chief woman.
Solle,      a common man.

Feejee, as we were told, lies three days sail from Tongataboo, in the direction of N.W. by W. It was described to us as a high, but very fruitful island, abounding with hogs, dogs, fowls, and all the kinds of fruit and roots that are found in any of the others, and as much larger than Tongataboo; to the dominion of which, as was represented, to us, it is not subject, as the other islands of this archipelago are.  On the contrary, Feejee and Tongataboo frequently make war upon each other.  And it appeared from several circumstances, that the inhabitants of the latter are much afraid of this enemy.  They used to express their sense of their own inferiority to the Feejee men by bending the body forward, and covering the face with their hands.  And it is no wonder that they should be under this dread; for those of Feejee are formidable on account of the dexterity with which they use their bows and slings, but much more so on account of the savage practice to which they are addicted, like those of New Zealand, of eating their enemies whom they kill in battle.  We were satisfied that this was not a misrepresentation; for we met with several Feejee people at Tongataboo, and, on enquiring of them, they did not deny the charge.

[Footnote 177:  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 the Kamtschadales are from the Brazilians, may 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

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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.