haddiscoveredenoughtofillme，inmypresentstateofmind，withthemostbitterreflections。ItwasplainthatIhadseenthelastrelicofsomeunfortunatewretch，whomusthavebeenmassacredonthebeachbythesavages，inoneofthoseperiloustradingadventureswhichIhavebeforedescribed。
Itwasnot，however，alonethemurderofthestrangerthatovercamemewithgloom。Ishudderedattheideaofthesubsequentfatehisinanimatebodymighthavemetwith。Wasthesamedoomreservedforme？WasIdestinedtoperishlikehim-likehim，perhaps，tobedevoured，andmyheadtobepreservedasafearfulmementooftheevent？Myimaginationranriotinthesehorridspeculations，andI
feltcertainthattheworstpossibleevilswouldbefallme。Butwhateverweremymisgivings，Istudiouslyconcealedthemfromtheislanders，aswellasthefullextentofthediscoveryIhadmade。
AlthoughtheassuranceswhichtheTypeeshadoftengivenme，thattheyneveratehumanflesh，hadnotconvincedmethatsuchwasthecase，yet，havingbeensolongatimeinthevalleywithoutwitnessinganythingwhichindicatedtheexistenceofthepractice，I
begantohopethatitwasaneventofveryrareoccurrence，andthatI
shouldbesparedthehorrorofwitnessingitduringmystayamongthem:but，alas！thesehopesweresoondestroyed。
Itisasingularfact，thatinallouraccountsofcannibaltribeswehaveseldomreceivedthetestimonyofaneyewitnesstotherevoltingpractice。Thehorribleconclusionhasalmostalwaysbeenderivedeitherfromthesecond-handevidenceofEuropeans，orelsefromtheadmissionsofthesavagesthemselves，aftertheyhaveinsomedegreebecomecivilized。ThePolynesiansareawareofthedetestationinwhichEuropeansholdthiscustom，andthereforeinvariablydenyitsexistence，and，withthecraftpeculiartosavages，endeavourtoconcealeverytraceofit。
Buttomystory。
Aboutaweekaftermydiscoveryofthecontentsofthemysteriouspackages，IhappenedtobeattheTi，whenanotherwar-alarmwassounded，andthenatives，rushingtotheirarms，salliedouttoresistasecondincursionoftheHapparinvaders。Thesamescenewasagainrepeated，onlythatonthisoccasionIheardatleastfifteenreportsofmusketsfromthemountainsduringthetimethattheskirmishlasted。Anhourortwoafteritstermination，loudpaeanschantedthroughthevalleyannouncedtheapproachofthevictors。IstoodwithKory-Koryleaningagainsttherailingofthepi-pi，awaitingtheiradvance，whenatumultuouscrowdofislandersemergedwithwildclamoursfromtheneighbouringgroves。Inthemidstofthemmarchedfourmen，oneprecedingtheotheratregularintervalsofeightortenfeet，withpolesofacorrespondinglength，extendingfromshouldertoshoulder，towhichwerelashedwiththongsofbarkthreelongnarrowbundles，carefullywrappedinamplecoveringsoffreshlypluckedpalm-leaves，tackedtogetherwithsliversofbamboo。Hereandthereuponthesegreenwinding-sheetsmightbeseenthestainsofblood，whilethewarriorswhocarriedthefrightfulburdensdisplayedupontheirnakedlimbssimilarsanguinarymarks。Theshavenheadoftheforemosthadadeepgashuponit，andtheclottedgorewhichhadflowedfromthewoundremainedindrypatchesaroundit。Thesavageseemedtobesinkingundertheweighthebore。Thebrighttattooinguponhisbodywascoveredwithbloodanddust；hisinflamedeyesrolledintheirsockets，andhiswholeappearancedenotedextraordinarysufferingandexertion；yet，sustainedbysomepowerfulimpulse，hecontinuedtoadvance，whilethethrongaroundhimwithwildcheerssoughttoencouragehim。Theotherthreemenweremarkedaboutthearmsandbreastswithseveralslightwounds，whichtheysomewhatostentatiouslydisplayed。
Thesefourindividuals，havingbeenthemostactiveinthelateencounter，claimedthehonourofbearingthebodiesoftheirslainenemiestotheTi。SuchwastheconclusionIdrewfrommyownobservations，and，asfarasIcouldunderstand，fromtheexplanationwhichKory-Korygaveme。
TheroyalMeheviwalkedbythesideoftheseheroes。Hecarriedinonehandamusket，fromthebarrelofwhichwassuspendedasmallcanvaspouchofpowder，andintheotherhegraspedashortjavelin，whichheheldbeforehimandregardedwithfierceexultation。ThisjavelinhehadwrestedfromacelebratedchampionoftheHappars，whohadignominiouslyfled，andwaspursuedbyhisfoesbeyondthesummitofthemountain。
WhenwithinashortdistanceoftheTi，thewarriorwiththewoundedhead，whoprovedtobeNarmonee，totteredforwardtwoorthreesteps，andfellhelplesslytotheground；butnotbeforeanotherhadcaughttheendofthepolefromhisshoulder，andplacedituponhisown。
Theexcitedthrongofislanders，whosurroundedthepersonofthekingandthedeadbodiesoftheenemy，approachedthespotwhereI
stood，brandishingtheirrudeimplementsofwarfare，manyofwhichwerebruisedandbroken，andutteringcontinualshoutsoftriumph。
WhenthecrowddrewupoppositetheTi，Isetmyselftowatchtheirproceedingsmostattentively；butscarcelyhadtheyhaltedwhenmyservitor，whohadleftmysideforaninstant，touchedmyarm，andproposedourreturningtoMarheyo’shouse。TothisIobjected；but，tomysurprise，Kory-Koryreiteratedhisrequest，andwithanunusualvehemenceofmanner。Still，however，Irefusedtocomply，andwasretreatingbeforehim，asinhisimportunityhepresseduponme，whenIfeltaheavyhandlaiduponmyshoulder，andturninground，encounteredthebulkyformofMow-Mow，aone-eyedchief，whohadjustdetachedhimselffromthecrowdbelow，andhadmountedtherearofthepi-piuponwhichwestood。Hischeekhadbeenpiercedbythepointofaspear，andthewoundimpartedastillmorefrightfulexpressiontohishideouslytattooedface，alreadydeformedbythelossofaneye。Thewarrior，withoututteringasyllable，pointedfiercelyinthedirectionofMarheyo’shouse，whileKory-Kory，atthesametimepresentinghisback，desiredmetomount。
Ideclinedthisoffer，butintimatedmywillingnesstowithdraw，andmovedslowlyalongthepiazza，wonderingwhatcouldbethecauseofthisunusualtreatment。Afewminutes’considerationconvincedmethatthesavageswereabouttocelebratesomehideousriteinconnexionwiththeirpeculiarcustoms，andatwhichtheyweredeterminedIshouldnotbepresent。Idescendedfromthepi-pi，andattendedbyKory-Kory，whoonthisoccasiondidnotshowhisusualcommiserationformylameness，butseemedonlyanxioustohurrymeon，walkedawayfromtheplace。AsIpassedthroughthenoisythrong，whichbythistimecompletelyenvironedtheTi，Ilookedwithfearfulcuriosityatthethreepackages，whichnowweredepositedupontheground；butalthoughIhadnodoubtastotheircontents，stilltheirthickcoveringspreventedmyactuallydetectingtheformofahumanbody。
Thenextmorning，shortlyaftersunrise，thesamethunderingsoundswhichhadawakenedmefromsleepontheseconddayoftheFeastofCalabashes，assuredmethatthesavageswereontheeveofcelebratinganother，and，asIfullybelieved，ahorriblesolemnity。
Alltheinmatesofthehouse，withtheexceptionofMarheyo，hisson，andTinor，afterassumingtheirgaladresses，departedinthedirectionoftheTabooGroves。
AlthoughIdidnotanticipateacompliancewithmyrequest，still，withaviewoftestingthetruthofmysuspicions，IproposedtoKory-Korythat，accordingtoourusualcustominthemorning，weshouldtakeastrolltotheTi:hepositivelyrefused；andwhenI
renewedtherequest，heevincedhisdeterminationtopreventmygoingthere；and，todivertmymindfromthesubject，heofferedtoaccompanymetothestream。Weaccordinglywent，andbathed。Onourcomingbacktothehouse，Iwassurprisedtofindthatallitsinmateshadreturned，andwerelounginguponthematsasusual，althoughthedrumsstillsoundedfromthegroves。
TherestofthedayIspentwithKory-KoryandFayaway，wanderingaboutapartofthevalleysituatedinanoppositedirectionfromtheTi，andwheneverIsomuchaslookedtowardsthatbuilding，althoughitwashiddenfromviewbyinterveningtrees，andatthedistanceofmorethanamile，myattendantwouldexclaim，Taboo，taboo！
Atthevarioushouseswherewestopped，Ifoundmanyoftheinhabitantsrecliningattheirease，orpursuingsomelightoccupation，asifnothingunusualweregoingforward；butamongstthemallIdidnotperceiveasinglechieforwarrior。WhenIaskedseveralofthepeoplewhytheywerenotatthe“HoolahHoolah“(thefeast)，theyuniformlyansweredthequestioninamannerwhichimpliedthatitwasnotintendedforthem，butforMehevi，Narmonee，Mow-Mow，Kolor，Womonoo，Kalow，runningover，intheirdesiretomakemecomprehendtheirmeaning，thenameofalltheprincipalchiefs。
Everything，inshort，strengthenedmysuspicionswithregardtothenatureofthefestivaltheywerenowcelebrating；andwhichamountedalmosttoacertainty。WhileinNukuhevaIhadfrequentlybeeninformedthatthewholetribewereneverpresentatthesecannibalbanquets，butthechiefsandpriestsonly；andeverythingI
nowobservedagreedwiththeaccount。
Thesoundofthedrumscontinuedwithoutintermissionthewholeday，andfallingcontinuallyuponmyear，causedmeasensationofhorrorwhichIamunabletodescribe。Onthefollowingday，hearingnoneofthosenoisyindicationsofrevelry，Iconcludedthattheinhumanfeastwasterminated，andfeelingakindofmorbidcuriositytodiscoverwhethertheTimightfurnishanyevidenceofwhathadtakenplacethere，IproposedtoKory-Korytowalkthere。Tothispropositionherepliedbypointingwithhisfingertothenewly-risensun，andthenuptothezenith，intimatingthatourvisitmustbedeferreduntilnoon。ShortlyafterthathourweaccordinglyproceededtotheTabooGroves，andassoonasweenteredtheirprecincts，Ilookedfearfullyroundinquestofsomememorialofthescenewhichhadsolatelybeenactedthere；buteverythingappearedasusual。OnreachingtheTi，wefoundMeheviandafewchiefsrecliningonthemats，whogavemeasfriendlyareceptionasever。Noallusionsofanykindweremadebythemtotherecentevents；
andIrefrained，forobviousreasons，fromreferringtothemmyself。
Afterstayingashorttime，Itookmyleave。Inpassingalongthepiazza，previouslytodescendingfromthepi-pi，Iobservedacuriouslycarvedvesselofwood，ofconsiderablesize，withacoverplacedoverit，ofthesamematerial，andwhichresembledinshapeasmallcanoe。Itwassurroundedbyalowrailingofbamboos，thetopofwhichwasscarcelyafootfromtheground。Asthevesselhadbeenplacedinitspresentpositionsincemylastvisit，Iatonceconcludedthatitmusthavesomeconnexionwiththerecentfestival；
and，promptedbyacuriosityIcouldnotrepress，inpassingitI
raisedoneendofthecover；atthesamemomentthechiefs，perceivingmydesign，loudlyejaculated，“Taboo！taboo！“Buttheslightglimpsesufficed；myeyesfelluponthedisorderedmembersofahumanskeleton，thebonesstillfreshwithmoisture，andwithparticlesoffleshclingingtothemhereandthere！
