The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
“After dinner we went with him and five or six people, his attendants,
toward the place where Poulaho’s mourning ceremony was transacted, the
last time we were at Mooa; but we did not enter the inclosure. Every
person who went with us, had the mat tied over his cloth, and some
leaves about the neck, as had been done on the former occasion; and when
we arrived at a large open boat-house, where a few people were, they
threw away their leaves, sat down before it, and gave their cheeks a few
gentle strokes with the first; after which they continued sitting for
about ten minutes, with a very grave appearance, and then dispersed
without having spoken a single word. This explained what Poulaho had
mentioned about _Tooge_; though, from the operation only lasting a few
seconds, he had not been observed to perform it. And this seems to be
only a continuation of the mourning ceremony by way of condolence. For,
upon inquiring on whose account it was now performed, we were told that
it was for a chief who had died at Vavavoo some time ago; that they had
practised it ever since, and should continue to do so for a considerable
time longer.
“In the evening we had a pig dressed as the hog, with yams and
cocoa-nuts, brought for supper; and Futtafaihe finding that we did not
like the scruples they had made before, to accept of any part of the
entertainment, asked us immediately to share it, and give it to whom we
pleased. When supper was over, abundance of cloth was brought for us to
sleep in; but we were a good deal disturbed by a singular instance of
luxury, in which their principal men indulge themselves, that of being
beat while they are asleep. Two women sat by Futtafaihe and performed
this operation, which is called _tooge tooge_, by beating briskly on his
body and legs with both fists as on a drum, till he fell asleep, and
continuing it the whole night with some short intervals. When once the
person is asleep they abate a little in the strength and quickness of
the beating; but resume it, if they observe any appearance of his
awaking. In the morning, we found that Futtafaihe’s women relieved each
other, and went to sleep by turns. In any other country it would be
supposed that such a practice would put an end to all rest; but here it
certainly acts as an opiate, and is a strong proof of what habit may
effect. The noise of this, however, was not the only thing that kept us
awake; for the people who passed the night in the house, not only
conversed amongst each other frequently, as in the day, but all got up
before it was light, and made a hearty meal on fish and yams, which were
brought to them by a person who seemed to know very well the appointed
time for this nocturnal refreshment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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