It were much to be wished that this deluded people may learn to entertain the same horror of murdering their fellow-creatures, in order to furnish such an invisible banquet to their god, as they now have of feeding, corporeally, on human flesh themselves. And, yet, we have great reason to believe, that there was a time when they were cannibals. We were told (and, indeed, partly saw it), that it is a necessary ceremony, when a poor wretch is sacrificed, for the priest to take out the left eye. This he presents to the king, holding it to his mouth, which he desires him to open; but, instead of putting it in, immediately withdraws it. This they call “eating the man,” or, “food for the chief;” and, perhaps, we may observe here some traces of former times, when the dead body was really feasted upon. But not to insist upon this; it is certain, that human sacrifices are not the only barbarous custom we find still prevailing amongst this benevolent, humane people. For, besides cutting out the jaw-bones of their enemies slain in battle, which they carry about as trophies, they, in some measure, offer their dead bodies as a sacrifice to the _Eatooa_. Soon after a battle, in which they have been victors, they collect all the dead that have fallen into their hands, and bring them to the _morai_, where, with a great deal of ceremony, they dig a hole, and bury them all in it, as so many offerings to the gods; but their skulls are never after taken up. Their own great chiefs, that fall in battle, are treated in a different manner. We were informed, that their late king Tootaha, Tubourai-tamaide, and another chief, who fell with them in the battle, fought with those of Tiaraboo, and were brought to this _morai_, at Attahooroo. There their bowels were cut out by the priests, before the great altar, and the bodies afterwards buried in three different places, which were pointed out to us, in the great pile of stones, that compose the most conspicuous part of this _morai_. And their common men, who also fell in this battle, were all buried in one hole, at the foot of the pile. This, Omai, who was present, told me was done the day after the battle, with much pomp and ceremony, and in the midst of a great concourse of people, as a thanksgiving-offering to the _Eatooa_, for the victory they had obtained; while the vanquished had taken refuge in the mountains. There they remained a week, or ten days, till the fury of the victors was over, and a treaty set on foot, by which it was agreed, that Otoo should be declared king of the whole island; and the solemnity of investing him with the _maro_, was performed at the same _morai_, with great pomp, in the presence of all the principal men of the country. CHAP. III.