with scales, which, they say, every now and then fall off, and their skin is, as it were, renewed.  As an excuse for a practice so destructive, they allege, that it is adopted to prevent their growing too fat; but it evidently enervates them, and, in all probability, shortens their days.  As its effects had not been so visible during our former visits, it is not unlikely that this article of luxury had never been so much abused as at this time.  If it continues to be so fashionable, it bids fair to destroy great numbers.

The times of eating at Otaheite are very frequent.  Their first meal, or (as it may rather be called) their last, as they go to sleep after it, is about two o’clock in the morning; and the next is at eight.  At eleven, they dine; and again, as Omai expressed it, at two, and at five; and sup at eight.  In this article of domestic life, they have adopted some customs which are exceedingly whimsical.  The women, for instance, have not only the mortification of being obliged to eat by themselves, and in a different part of the house from the men, but, by a strange kind of policy, are excluded from a share of most of the better sorts of food.  They dare not taste turtle, nor fish of the tunny kind, which is much esteemed; nor some particular sorts of the best plantains; and it is very seldom that even those of the first rank are suffered to eat pork.  The children of each sex also eat apart; and the women generally serve up their own victuals; for they would certainly starve before any grown man would do them such an office.  In this, as well as in some other customs relative to their eating, there is a mysterious conduct which we could never thoroughly comprehend.  When we enquired into the reasons of it, we could get no other answer, but that it is right and necessary that it should be so.

In other customs respecting the females, there seems to be no such obscurity; especially as to their connexions with the men.  If a young man and woman, from mutual choice, cohabit, the man gives the father of the girl such things as are necessary in common life; as hogs, cloth, or canoes, in proportion to the time they are together; and, if he thinks that he has not been sufficiently paid for his daughter, he makes no scruple of forcing her to leave her friend, and to cohabit with another person who may be more liberal.  The man, on his part, is always at liberty to make a new choice; but, should his consort become pregnant, he may kill the child; and, after that, either continue his connexion with the mother, or leave her.  But if he should adopt the child, and suffer it to live, the parties are then considered as in the married state, and they commonly live together ever after.  However, it is thought no crime in the man to join a more youthful partner to his first wife, and to live with both.  The custom of changing their connexions is, however, much more general than this last; and it is a thing so common, that they speak