State Library of NSW
[Page 105]
101. Decr. 1769. Motuaro
1. Several Canoes were on board by Day break & sold some things cheifly for Indian Cloth & quart bottles the day misty & stewy the boats were on shore on the Island which we searchd on the 29th with so little success that we did not think it worth while to go ashore
It is now a long time since I have mentiond their custom of Eating human flesh as I was loth a long time to beleive that any human beings could could have among them so brutal a custom I am now however convincd & shall here give a short account of what we have heard from the Indians concerning it At Taoneroa the first place we landed in on the Continent the boys who we had on board mentiond it of their own accords asking whether the meat they eat was not human flesh as they had no Idea of any animal but a man so large till they saw our sheep they however seemd ashamd of the custom saying that the tribe to which they belongd did not use it but that another very near did since that we have never faild wherever we went ashore & often when we convers'd with boats canoes to ask the question we have without one exception been answerd in the affirmative & several times as at Tolaga & today the people have put themselves into
This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.