ly, broken, and uneven surface, except
what borders upon the Sea Coast, and high withall, yet the Hills look
green and pleasant and are in many places cloathed with woods.

The Produce of these Islands, and manners and Customs of the Natives are
much the same as at King George's Island, only as the Bread fruit Tree is
here in not such plenty, the natives to supply that deficiency plant and
Cultivate a greater Quantity of Plantains and Yams of several sorts, and
these they have in the greatest Perfection.

The inhabitants are rather of a fairer Colour than the Generality of the
Natives of George's Island, but more especially the Women, who are much
fairer and handsomer, and the Men are not so much Addicted to thieving,
and are more Open and free in their behaviour.

The only differance we could see in their Religion was in the Houses of
their Gods, which were very different to those we saw on George's Island.
Those here were made about the Size and shape of a Coffin open at one
End; they are laid upon a Number of small Wooden Arches, which are fram'd
and fastned together like the Roof of a House, and these are generally
supported about 3 or 4 feet above the ground by Posts. Over the box is a
small roof or shade made of Palm thatch; in this Box are deposited the
Oblations of the Gods, such as Pieces of Cloth, Human bone, etc., and
these places they hold sacred, and some are placed in their Mories, and
some not. They have a Custom of preserving the Sculls and under Jaw bones
of the Dead, but wether of their Friends or Enemies I cannot pretend to
say. Several of the Sculls, we observed, were broke, and its very
probable that the owners of them had been kill'd in battle, as some of
their Weapons are well Calculated for breaking of Heads; and from what we
could learn it is a Custom with them to cut out the Lower jaw of their
Enemies, but I believe not before they are kill'd, and these they keep as
Trophies, and are sometimes hung up in their Houses.

The Chief or King of Bolabola hath of late Years Usurped the Sovereignty
of the other two, and the Bolabola men at this time possess great part of
the Lands on Ulietea and Otaha that they have taken from the Natives. The
Lands adjoining to the Harbours of Oraotanue belong'd to Tupia, the
Person we have on board, who is a Native of Ulietea. These people are
very ingenious in building their Proes or Canoes, and seem to take as
much Care of them, having large Shades or Houses to p