the practice at the Ladrones, without tracing the strongest resemblance—­Dans leurs assemblees elles se mettent doux ou trieze femmes en rond, debout, sans se remuer.  Dans cette attitude elles chantent les vers fabuleux de leurs poetes avec un agrement, et une justesse qui plairoit en Europe.  L’accord de leur voix est admirable, et ne cede en rien a la musique concertee.  Elles ont dans les mains de petits coquilles, dont elles se servent avec beaucoup de precision.  Elles soutiennent leur voix, et animent leur chants avec une action si vive, et des gestes si expressives, qu’elles charment ceux qui les voient, et qui les entendent. 5.  We read in Captain Cook’s first voyage, that at Otaheite garlands of the fruit of the palm-tree and cocoa-leaves, with other things particularly consecrated to funeral solemnities, are deposited about the places where they lay their dead; and that provisions and water are also left at a little distance.  How conformable to this is the practice at the Ladrones, as described by Le Gobien!—­Ils font quelques repas autour du tombeau; car on en eleve toujours un sur le lieu ou le corps est enterre, ou dans le voisinage; on le charge de fleurs, de branches de palmiers, de coquillages, et de tout ce qu’ils ont de plus precieux. 6.  It is the custom at Otaheite not to bury the skulls of the chiefs with the rest of the bones, but to put them into boxes made for that purpose.  Here again, we find the same strange custom prevailing at the Ladrones; for Le Gobien expressly tells us, qui’ls gardent les cranes, en leur maisons, that they put these skulls into little baskets (petites corbeilles); and that these dead chiefs are the Anitis, to whom their priests address their invocations. 7.  The people at Otaheite, as we learn from Captain Cook, in his account of Tee’s embalmed corpse, make use of cocoa-nut oil, and other ingredients, in rubbing the dead bodies.  The people of the Ladrones, Father Le Gobien tells us, sometimes do the same—­D’autres frottent les morts d’huile odoriferante. 8.  The inhabitants of Otaheite believe the immortality of the soul; and that there are two situations after death, somewhat analogous to our heaven and hell; but they do not suppose, that their actions here in the least influence their future state.  And in the account given in this Voyage of the religious opinions entertained at the Friendly Islands, we find there exactly the same doctrine.  It is very observable, how conformable to this is the belief of the inhabitants of the Ladrones—­Ils sont persuades (says Le Gobien) de l’immortalite de l’ame.  Ils reconnoissent meme un Paradis et un Enfer, dont ils se forment des idees assez bizarres.  Ce n’est point, selon eux, la vertu ni le crime, qui conduit dans ces lieux la; les bonnes ou les mauvaises actions n’y servent de rien. 9.  One more very singular instance of agreement shall close this long list.  In Captain Cook’s account of the New Zealanders, we find that, according to them, the soul of the man who is killed, and whose flesh is devoured, is doomed to a perpetual fire; while the souls of all who die a natural death, ascend to the habitations of the gods.  And, from Le Gobien, we learn that this very notion is adopted by his islanders—­Si on a le malkeur de mourir de mort violente, on a l’enfer pour leur portage.