1769. June. Saturd. 3. Sunday 4. a prefent of a long nail, at the fame time complimenting Nuna with a fhirt. The first internal contact of the planet with the fun being over, Mr. Banks returned to the obfervatory, taking Tarrao, Nuna, and fome of their principal attendants, among whom were three very handsome young women, with him: he fhowed them the planet upon the fun, and endeavoured to make them underftand that he and his companions had come from their own country on purpofe to fee it. Soon after, Mr. Banks returned with them to the island, where he spent the reft of the day in examining its produce, which he found to be much the fame with that of Otaheite. The people whom he faw there also exactly resembled the inhabitants of that island, and many of them were perfons whom he had feen upon it; fo that all those whom he had dealt with, knew of what his trading articles confifted, and the value they bore. The next morning, having ftruck the tents, they fet out on their return, and arrived at the fort before night. The obfervation was made with equal fuccefs by the perfons whom I had fent to the eastward, and at the fort, there not being a cloud in the sky from the rifing to the setting of the fun, the whole paffage of the planet Venus over the 1769. June. the fun's difk was obferved with great advantage by Mr. Green, Dr. Solander, and myfelf: Mr. Green's telefcope and mine were of the Sunday 4. fame magnifying power, but that of Dr. Solander was greater. We all faw an atmosphere or dusky cloud round the body of the planet, which very much disturbed the times of contact, especially of the internal ones; and we differed from each other in our accounts of the times of the contacts much more than might have been expected. According to Mr. Green, Hours. Min. Sec. The first external contact, or first appearance of Venus on the Sun, was The first internal contact, or total immerfion, was The fecond internal contact, or beginning of the emerfion, 3 32 10 Morning. Afternoon. The fecond external contact, or total emer- But if we had reason to congratulate ourselves upon the fuccefs of our obfervation, we had fcarce lefs caufe. to which that time had regret the diligence with our 1769. June. Sunday 4. our people to another purpose. While the attention of the officers was engroffed by the Tranfit of Venus, fome of the fhip's company broke into one of the ftore-rooms, and ftole a quantity of spike-nails, amounting to no less than one hundred weight: this was a matter of public and ferious concern; for these nails, if circulated by the people among the Indians, would do us irreparable injury, by reducing the value of iron, our staple commodity. One of the thieves was detected, but only feven nails were found in his cuftody. He was punished with two dozen lashes, but would impeach none of his accomplices. CHAP. CHA P. XIV. The Ceremonies of an Indian Funeral particularly defcribed: General Obfervations on the Subject: A Character found among the Indians to which the Ancients paid great Veneration: A Robbery at the Fort, and its Confequences; with a Specimen of Indian Cookery, and various Incidents. ON 1769. June. N the 5th, we kept his Majefty's birthday; for though it is the 4th, we were unwilling to celebrate it during the abfence of Monday 5. the two parties who had been fent out to obferve the Tranfit. We had feveral of the Indian Chiefs at our entertainment, who drank his Majesty's health by the name of Kihiargo, which was the nearest imitation they could produce of King George. About this time died an old woman of fome rank, who was related to Tomio, which gave us an opportunity to fee how they difpofed of the body, and confirmed us in our opinion that these people, contrary to the present cuftom of all other nations now known, never bury their dead. In the middle of a small fquare, neatly railed in with bamboo, the awning of a Dd 4 canoo 1769. June. Monday 5. canoe was raised upon two pofts, and under this the body was depofited upon fuch a frame as has before been described: it was covered with fine cloth, and near it was placed breadfruit, fish, and other provifions: we fuppofed that the food was placed there for the spirit of the deceased, and confequently, that these Indians had fome confufed notion of a feparate flate; but upon our applying for further information to Tubourai Tamaide, he told us, that the food was placed there as an offering to their gods. They do not, however, fuppose, that the gods eat, any more than the Jews fuppofed that Jehovah could dwell in a houfe: the offering is made here upon the fame principle as the Temple was built at Jerufalem, as an expreffion of reverence and gratitude, and a folicitation of the more immediate prefence of the Deity. In the front of the area was a kind of ftile, where the relations of the deceased stood to pay the tribute of their forrow; and under the awning were innumerable fmall pieces of cloth, on which the tears and blood of the mourners had been shed; for in their paroxyfms of grief it is a univerfal cuftom to wound themfelves with the fhark's tooth. Within a few yards two occafional houfes were fet up, in one of which fome relations of the deceased constantly refided, and in the other the chief mourner, who is always a man, and who keeps there a |