a number of inferior Deities, Eatuas as they call them--these they
think preside over them and intermeddle in their affairs. To these they
offer Oblations such as Hogs, Dogs, Fish, Fruit, etc., and invoke them on
some particular occasions, as in time of real or Apparent Danger, the
setting out of a long Voyage, sickness's, etc.; but the Ceremony made use
of on these occasions I know not. The Mories, which we at first thought
were burying places, are wholy built for Places of worship, and for the
Performing of religious ceremonies in.* (* Cook did not apparently learn
anything in this voyage of the human sacrifices offered in the Morais on
many occasions, such as before war; at the coronation of the king; etc.
The Tahitians were, however, never guilty of cannibalism.) The Viands are
laid upon altars erected 8, 12, or 12 Feet high, by stout Posts, and the
Table of the Altar on which the Viands lay, is generally made of Palm
leaves; they are not always in the Mories, but very often at some
Distance from them. Their Mories, as well as the Tombs of the Dead, they
seem to hold sacred, and the women never enter the former, whatever they
may do the latter. The Viands laid near the Tombs of the Dead are, from
what I can learn, not for the deceased, but as an Offering to the Eatua
made upon that Occasion who, if not, would distroy the body and not
except of the soul--for they believe of a future state of rewards and
punishments; but what their Ideas are of it I know not. We have seen in
some few places small Houses set apart on purpose for the Oblations
offer'd to the Eatua, which consists of small strips of Cloth, Viands,
etc. I am of Opinion they offer to the Eatua a Strip or small piece of
every piece of Cloth they make before they use it themselves, and it is
not unlikely but what they observe the same thing with respect to their
Victuals, but as there are but few of these houses this cannot be a
common Custom; it may only be observ'd by the Priests and such families
as are more religious than others.

Now I have mentioned Priests, there are men that Exercise that function,
of which Numbers Tupia is one. They seem to be in no great repute,
neither can they live wholy by their Profession, and this leads me to
think that these People are no bigots to their religion. The Priests on
some occasions do the Office of Physicians, and their prescriptions
consists in performing some religious ceremony before the sick person.
They likewi