ThiswasanoperationIhadfrequentlywitnessed，andhadhandledthebarkinallthevariousstagesofitspreparation。Onthepresentoccasionthefemaleswereintentupontheiroccupation，andafterlookingupandtalkinggailytomeforafewmoments，theyresumedtheiremployment。Iregardedthemforawhileinsilence，andthen，carelesslypickingupahandfulofthematerialthatlayaround，proceededunconsciouslytopickitapart。Whilethusengaged，Iwassuddenlystartledbyascream，likethatofawholeboarding-schoolofyoungladiesjustonthepointofgoingintohysterics。LeapingupwiththeideaofseeingascoreofHapparwarriorsabouttoperformanewtheSabineatrocity，Ifoundmyselfconfrontedbythecompanyofgirls，who，havingdroppedtheirwork，stoodbeforemewithstartingeyes，swellingbosoms，andfingerspointedinhorrortowardsme。
ThinkingthatsomevenomousreptilemustbeconcealedinthebarkwhichIheldinmyhand，Ibegancautiouslytoseparateandexamineit。WhilstIdidsothehorrifiedgirlsredoubledtheirshrieks。Theirwildcriesandfrightenedmotionsactuallyalarmedme，andthrowingdownthetappa，Iwasabouttorushfromthehouse，wheninthesameinstanttheirclamoursceased，andoneofthem，seizingmebythearm，pointedtothebrokenfibresthathadjustfallenfrommygrasp，andscreamedinmyearsthefatalword“Taboo！“
Isubsequentlyfoundoutthatthefabrictheywereengagedinmakingwasofapeculiarkind，destinedtobewornontheheadsofthefemales，andthrougheverystageofitsmanufacturewasguardedbyavigoroustaboo，whichinterdictedthewholemasculinegenderfromevensomuchastouchingit。
FrequentlyinwalkingthroughthegrovesIobservedbread-fruitandcocoa-nuttrees，withawreathofleavestwinedinapeculiarfashionabouttheirtrunks。Thiswasthemarkofthetaboo。Thetreesthemselves，theirfruit，andeventheshadowstheycastupontheground，wereconsecratedbyitspresence。Inthesamewayapipe，whichthekinghadbestoweduponme，wasrenderedsacredintheeyesofthenatives，noneofwhomcouldIeverprevailupontosmokefromit。Thebowlwasencircledbyawovenbandofgrass，somewhatresemblingthoseTurks’headsoccasionallyworkedinthehandlesofourwhip-stalks。
AsimilarbadgewasoncebraidedaboutmywristbytheroyalhandofMehevihimself，who，assoonashehadconcludedtheoperation，pronouncedme“Taboo。“ThisoccurredshortlyafterToby’sdisappearance；andwereitnotthatfromthefirstmomentIhadenteredthevalleythenativeshadtreatedmewithuniformkindness，I
shouldhavesupposedthattheirconductafterwardswastobeascribedtothefactthatIreceivedthissacredinvestiture。
Thecapriciousoperationsofthetabooarenotitsleastremarkablefeature:toenumeratethemallwouldbeimpossible。Blackhogs-infantstoacertainage-womeninaninterestingsituation-
youngmenwhiletheoperationoftattooingtheirfacesisgoingon-
andcertainpartsofthevalleyduringthecontinuanceofashower-
arealikefencedaboutbytheoperationofthetaboo。
IwitnessedastrikinginstanceofitseffectsinthebayofTior，myvisittowhichplaceoccurredafewdaysbeforeleavingtheship。
Onthatoccasionourworthycaptainformedoneoftheparty。Hewasamostinsatiablesportsman。Outwardbound，andoffthepitchofCapeHorn，heusedtositonthetaffrail，andkeepthestewardloadingthreeorfouroldfowling-pieces，withwhichhewouldbringdownalbatrosses，Capepigeons，jays，petrels，anddiversothermarinefowl，whofollowedchatteringinourwake。Thesailorswerestruckaghastathisimpiety，andoneandallattributedourfortydays’
beatingaboutthathorridheadlandtohissacrilegiousslaughteroftheseinoffensivebirds。
AtTior，heevincedthesamedisregardforthereligiousprejudicesoftheislandersashehadpreviouslyshownforthesuperstitionsofthesailors。Havingheardthattherewereaconsiderablenumberoffowlsinthevalley-theprogenyofsomecocksandhensaccidentallylefttherebyanEnglishvessel，andwhich，beingstrictlytabooed，flewaboutalmostinawildstate-hedeterminedtobreakthroughallrestraints，andbethedeathofthem。Accordingly，heprovidedhimselfwithamostformidable-lookinggun，andannouncedhislandingonthebeachbyshootingdownanoblecock，thatwascrowingwhatprovedtobehisownfuneraldirgeonthelimbofanadjoiningtree。“Taboo，“shriekedtheaffrightedsavages。“Oh，hangyourtaboo，“saysthenauticalsportsman；“talktabootothemarines“；andbangwentthepieceagain，anddowncameanothervictim。Atthisthenativesranscamperingthroughthegroves，horror-struckattheenormityoftheact。
Allthatafternoontherockysidesofthevalleyrangwithsuccessivereports，andthesuperbplumageofmanyabeautifulfowlwasruffledbythefatalbullet。HaditnotbeenthattheFrenchadmiral，withalargeparty，wasthenintheglen，Ihavenodoubtthatthenatives，althoughtheirtribewassmallanddispirited，wouldhaveinflictedsummaryvengeanceuponthemanwhothusoutragedtheirmostsacredinstitutions；asitwas，theycontrivedtoannoyhimnotalittle。
Thirstingwithhisexertions，theskipperdirectedhisstepstoastream；butthesavages，whohadfollowedatalittledistance，perceivinghisobject，rushedtowardshimandforcedhimawayfromitsbank-hislipswouldhavepollutedit。Weariedatlast，hesoughttoenterahousethathemightrestforawhileonthemats；itsinmatesgatheredtumultuouslyaboutthedooranddeniedhimadmittance。Hecoaxedandblusteredbyturns，butinvain；thenativeswereneithertobeintimidatednorappeased，andasafinalresorthewasobligedtocalltogetherhisboat’screw，andpullawayfromwhathetermedthemostinfernalplaceheeversteppedupon。
LuckywasitforhimandforusthatwewerenothonouredonourdeparturebyasaluteofstonesfromthehandsoftheexasperatedTiors。Inthisway，ontheneighbouringislandofRopo，werekilled，butafewweekspreviously，andforanearlysimilaroffence，theIcannotdetermine，withanythingapproachingtocertainty，whatpoweritisthatimposesthetaboo。WhenIconsidertheslightdisparityofconditionamongtheislanders-theverylimitedandinconsiderableprerogativesofthekingandchiefs-andthelooseandindefinitefunctionsofthepriesthood，mostofwhomwerehardlytobedistinguishedfromtherestoftheircountrymen，Iamwhollyatalosswheretolookfortheauthoritywhichregulatesthispotentinstitution。Itisimposeduponsomethingto-day，andwithdrawnto-morrow；whileitsoperationsinothercasesareperpetual。
Sometimesitsrestrictionsonlyaffectasingleindividual-
sometimesaparticularfamily-sometimesawholetribe；and，inafewinstances，theyextendnotmerelyoverthevariousclansonasingleisland，butoveralltheinhabitantsofanentiregroup。Inillustrationofthislatterpeculiarity，Imaycitethelawwhichforbidsafemaletoenteracanoe-aprohibitionwhichprevailsuponallthenorthernMarquesasIslands。
Theworditselftabooisusedinmorethanonesignification。Itissometimesusedbyaparenttohischild，when，intheexerciseofparentalauthority，heforbidsittoperformaparticularaction。
Anythingopposedtotheordinarycustomsoftheislanders，althoughnotexpresslyprohibited，issaidtobe“taboo。“
TheTypeelanguageisoneverydifficulttobeacquired；itbearsacloseresemblancetotheotherPolynesiandialects，allofwhichshowacommonorigin。Theduplicationofwords，as“lumeelumee，““poeepoee，““mueemuee，“isoneoftheirpeculiarfeatures。
Butanother，andamoreannoyingone，isthedifferentsensesinwhichoneandthesamewordisemployed；itsvariousmeaningsallhaveacertainconnexion，whichonlymakesthemattermorepuzzling。Soonebrisk，livelylittlewordisobliged，likeaservantinapoorfamily，toperformallsortsofduties。Forinstance-oneparticularcombinationofsyllablesexpressestheideasofsleep，rest，reclining，sitting，leaning，andallotherthingsanywaysanalogousthereto，theparticularmeaningbeingshownchieflybyavarietyofgestures，andtheeloquentexpressionofthecountenance。
SADLYdiscursiveasIhadalreadybeen，Imuststillfurtherentreatthereader’spatience，asIamabouttostringtogether，withoutanyattemptatorder，afewoddsandendsofthingsnothithertomentioned，butwhichareeithercuriousinthemselves，orpeculiartotheTypees。
Therewasonesingularcustom，observedinoldMarheyo’sdomesticestablishment，whichoftenexcitedmysurprise。Everynight，beforeretiring，theinmatesofthehousegatheredtogetheronthemats，andsquattingupontheirhaunches，aftertheuniversalpracticeoftheseislanders，wouldcommencealow，dismal，andmonotonouschant，accompanyingthevoicewiththeinstrumentalmelodyproducedbytwosmallhalf-rottenstickstappedslowlytogether，apairofwhichwereheldinthehandsofeachpersonpresent。Thuswouldtheyemploythemselvesforanhourortwo，sometimeslonger。Lyinginthegloomwhichwrappedthefartherendofthehouse，Icouldnotavoidlookingatthem，althoughthespectaclesuggestednothingbutunpleasantreflections。Theflickeringraysofthe，“armor“nutjustservedtorevealtheirsavagelineaments，withoutdispellingthedarknessthathoveredaboutthem。
Sometimeswhen，afterfallingintoakindofdoze，andawakingsuddenlyinthemidstofthesedolefulchantings，myeyewouldfalluponthewild-lookinggroupengagedintheirstrangeoccupation，withtheirnakedtattooedlimbs，andshavenheadsdisposedinacircle，IwasalmosttemptedtobelievethatIgazeduponasetofevilbeingsintheactofworkingafrightfulincantation。
Whatwasthemeaningorpurposeofthiscustom，whetheritwaspractisedmerelyasadiversion，orwhetheritwasareligiousexercise，asortoffamilyprayers，Inevercoulddiscover。
Thesoundsproducedbythenativesontheseoccasionswereofamostsingulardescription；andhadInotactuallybeenpresent，I
neverwouldhavebelievedthatsuchcuriousnoisescouldhavebeenproducedbyhumanbeings。
Tosavages，generally，isimputedagutturalarticulation。This，however，isnotalwaysthecase，especiallyamongtheinhabitantsofthePolynesianArchipelago。ThelabialmelodywithwhichtheTypeegirlscarryonanordinaryconversation，givingamusicalprolongationtothefinalsyllableofeverysentence，andchirpingoutsomeofthewordswithaliquid，bird-likeaccent，wassingularlypleasing。
Themen，however，arenotquitesoharmoniousintheirutterance；andwhenexciteduponanysubject，wouldworkthemselvesupintoasortofwordyparoxysm，duringwhichalldescriptionsofrough-sidedsoundswereprojectedfromtheirmouths，withaforceandrapiditywhichwasabsolutelyastonishing。
Althoughthesesavagesareremarkablyfondofchanting，stilltheyappeartohavenoideawhateverofsinging，atleastastheartispractisedamongothernations。
InevershallforgetthefirsttimeIhappenedtoroaroutastaveinthepresenceofthenobleMehevi。Itwasastanzafromthe“BavarianBroom-seller。“HisTypeanmajesty，withallhiscourt，gazeduponmeinamazement，asifIhaddisplayedsomepreternaturalfacultywhichHeavenhaddeniedtothem。Thekingwasdelightedwiththeverse；butthechorusfairlytransportedhim。Athissolicitation，I