INoneofmystrollswithKory-Kory，inpassingalongtheborderofathickgrowthofbushes，myattentionwasarrestedbyasingularnoise。Onenteringthethicket，Iwitnessedforthefirsttimetheoperationoftattooingasperformedbytheseislanders。
Ibeheldamanextendedflatuponhisbackontheground，and，despitetheforcedcomposureofhiscountenance，itwasevidentthathewassufferingagony。Histormentorbentoverhim，workingawayforalltheworldlikeastonecutterwithmalletandchisel。Inonehandheheldashortslenderstick，pointedwithashark’stooth，ontheuprightendofwhichhetappedwithasmallhammer-likepieceofwood，thuspuncturingtheskin，andchargingitwiththecolouringmatterinwhichtheinstrumentwasdipped。Acocoa-nutshellcontainingthisfluidwasplacedupontheground。Itispreparedbymixingwithavegetablejuicetheashesofthe“armor，“orcandle-nut，alwayspreservedforthepurpose。Besidethesavage，andspreadoutuponapieceofsoiledtappa，wereagreatnumberofcuriousblack-lookinglittleimplementsofboneandwood，usedinthevariousdivisionsofhisart。Afewterminatedinasinglefinepoint，and，likeverydelicatepencils，wereemployedingivingthefinishingtouches，orinoperatinguponthemoresensitiveportionsofthebody，aswasthecaseinthepresentinstance。Otherspresentedseveralpointsdistributedinaline，somewhatresemblingtheteethofasaw。Thesewereemployedinthecoarserpartsofthework，andparticularlyinprickinginstraightmarks。Somepresentedtheirpointsdisposedinsmallfigures，andbeingplaceduponthebody，were，byasingleblowofthehammer，madetoleavetheirindelibleimpression。Iobservedafew，thehandlesofwhichweremysteriouslycurved，asifintendedtobeintroducedintotheorificeoftheear，withaviewperhapsofbeatingthetattoouponthetympanum。
Altogether，thesightofthesestrangeinstrumentsrecalledtomindthatdisplayofcruel-lookingmother-of-pearl-handledthingswhichoneseesintheirvelvet-linedcasesattheelbowofadentist。
Theartistwasnotatthistimeengagedonanoriginalsketch，hissubjectbeingavenerablesavage，whosetattooinghadbecomesomewhatfadedwithageandneededafewrepairs，andaccordinglyhewasmerelyemployedintouchinguptheworksofsomeoftheoldmastersoftheTypeeschool，asdelineateduponthehumancanvasbeforehim。Thepartsoperateduponweretheeyelids，wherealongitudinalstreak，liketheonewhichadornedKoryKory，crossedthecountenanceofthevictim。
Inspiteofalltheeffortsofthepooroldman，sundrytwitchingsandscrewingsofthemusclesofthefacedenotedtheexquisitesensibilityoftheseshutterstothewindowsofhissoul，whichhewasnowhavingrepainted。Buttheartist，withaheartascallousasthatofanarmysurgeon，continuedhisperformance，enliveninghislabourswithawildchant，tappingawaythewhileasmerrilyasawoodpecker。
Sodeeplyengagedwasheinhiswork，thathehadnotobservedourapproach，until，afterhavingenjoyedanunmolestedviewoftheoperation，Ichosetoattracthisattention。Assoonasheperceivedme，supposingthatIsoughthiminhisprofessionalcapacity，heseizedholdofmeinaparoxysmofdelight，andwasalleagernesstobeginthework。When，however，Igavehimtounderstandthathehadaltogethermistakenmyviews，nothingcouldexceedhisgriefanddisappointment。Butrecoveringfromthis，heseemeddeterminednottocreditmyassertion，andgraspinghisimplements，heflourishedthemaboutinfearfulvicinitytomyface，goingthroughanimaginaryperformanceofhisart，andeverymomentburstingintosomeadmiringexclamationatthebeautyofhisdesigns。
Horrifiedatthebarethoughtofbeingrenderedhideousforlifeifthewretchweretoexecutehispurposeuponme，Istruggledtogetawayfromhim，whileKory-Kory，turningtraitor，stoodby，andbesoughtmetocomplywiththeoutrageousrequest。Onmyreiteratedrefusalstheexcitedartistgothalfbesidehimself，andwasoverwhelmedwithsorrowatlosingsonobleanopportunityofdistinguishinghimselfinhisprofession。
Theideaofengraftinghistattooinguponmywhiteskinfilledhimwithallapainter’senthusiasm:againandagainhegazedintomycountenance，andeveryfreshglimpseseemedtoaddtothevehemenceofhisambition。Notknowingtowhatextremitieshemightproceed，andshudderingattheruinhemightinflictuponmyfigure-head，Inowendeavouredtodrawoffhisattentionfromit，andholdingoutmyarminafitofdesperation，signedtohimtocommenceoperations。Butherejectedthecompromiseindignantly，andstillcontinuedhisattackonmyface，asthoughnothingshortofthatwouldsatisfyhim。Whenhisforefingersweptacrossmyfeatures，inlayingoutthebordersofthoseparallelbandswhichweretoencirclemycountenance，thefleshfairlycrawleduponmybones。Atlast，halfwildwithterrorandindignation，Isucceededinbreakingawayfromthethreesavages，andfledtowardsoldMarheyo’shouse，pursuedbytheindomitableartist，whoranafterme，implementsinhand。Kory-Kory，however，atlastinterfered，anddrewhimofffromthechase。
Thisincidentopenedmyeyestoanewdanger；andInowfeltconvincedthatinsomelucklesshourIshouldbedisfiguredinsuchamannerasnevermoretohavethefacetoreturntomycountrymen，evenshouldanopportunityoffer。
TheseapprehensionsweregreatlyincreasedbythedesirewhichKingMeheviandseveraloftheinferiorchiefsnowmanifestedthatI
shouldbetattooed。ThepleasureofthekingwasfirstsignifiedtomesomethreedaysaftermycasualencounterwithKarkytheartist。
Heavens！whatimprecationsIshowereduponthatKarky。Doubtlesshehadplottedaconspiracyagainstmeandmycountenance，andwouldneverrestuntilhisdiabolicalpurposewasaccomplished。SeveraltimesImethiminvariouspartsofthevalley，and，invariably，wheneverhedescriedme，hecamerunningaftermewithhismalletandchisel，flourishingthemaboutmyfaceasifhelongedtobegin。
Whatanobjecthewouldhavemadeofme！
Whenthekingfirstexpressedhiswishtome，Imadeknowntohimmyutterabhorrenceofthemeasure，andworkedmyselfintosuchastateofexcitement，thatheabsolutelystaredatmeinamazement。
Itevidentlysurpassedhismajesty’scomprehensionhowanysober-mindedandsensibleindividualcouldentertaintheleastpossibleobjectiontosobeautifyinganoperation。
Soonafterwardsherepeatedhissuggestion，andmeetingwithalikerepulse，showedsomesymptomsofdispleasureatmyobduracy。Onhisathirdtimerenewinghisrequest，Iplainlyperceivedthatsomethingmustbedone，ormyvisagewasruinedforever；I
thereforescrewedupmycouragetothestickingpoint，anddeclaredmywillingnesstohavebotharmstattooedfromjustabovethewristtotheshoulder。Hismajestywasgreatlypleasedattheproposition，andIwascongratulatingmyselfwithhavingthuscompromisedthematter，whenheintimatedthatasathingofcoursemyfacewasfirsttoundergotheoperation。Iwasfairlydriventodespair；
nothingbuttheutterruinofmy“facedivine，“asthepoetscallit，would，Iperceived，satisfytheinexorableMeheviandhischiefs，orratherthatinfernalKarky，forhewasatthebottomofitall。
Theonlyconsolationaffordedmewasachoiceofpatterns:Iwasatperfectlibertytohavemyfacespannedbythreehorizontalbars，afterthefashionofmyserving-man’s；ortohaveasmanyobliquestripesslantingacrossit:orif，likeatruecourtier，Ichosetomodelmystyleonthatofroyalty，Imightwearasortoffreemasonbadgeuponmycountenanceintheshapeofamystictriangle。
However，Iwouldhavenoneofthese，thoughthekingmostearnestlyimpresseduponmymindthatmychoicewaswhollyunrestricted。Atlast，seeingmyunconquerablerepugnance，heceasedtoimportuneme。
Butnotsosomeotherofthesavages。HardlyadaypassedbutI
wassubjectedtotheirannoyingrequests，untilatlastmyexistencebecameaburdentome；thepleasuresIhadpreviouslyenjoyednolongeraffordedmedelight，andallmyformerdesiretoescapefromthevalleynowrevivedwithadditionalforce。
AfactwhichIsoonafterwardslearnedaugmentedmyapprehension。Thewholesystemoftattooingwas，Ifound，connectedwiththeirreligion；anditwasevident，therefore，thattheywereresolvedtomakeaconvertofme。
Inthedecorationofthechiefs，itseemstobenecessarytoexercisethemostelaboratepencilling；whilesomeoftheinferiornativeslookedasiftheyhadbeendaubedoverindiscriminatelywithahouse-painter’sbrush。Irememberonefellowwhopridedhimselfhugelyuponagreatoblongpatch，placedhighuponhisback，andwhoalwaysremindedmeofamanwithablisterofSpanishfliesstuckbetweenhisshoulders。AnotherwhomIfrequentlymethadthehollowofhiseyestattooedintworegularsquares，andhisvisualorgansbeingremarkablybrilliant，theygleamedforthfromoutthissettinglikeacoupleofdiamondsinsertedinebony。
Althoughconvincedthattattooingwasareligiousobservance，stillthenatureoftheconnexionbetweenitandservance，stillthenatureoftheconnexionbetweenitandthesuperstitiousidolatryofthepeoplewasapointuponwhichIcouldneverobtainanyinformation。Likethestillmoreimportantsystemofthe“Taboo，“italwaysappearedinexplicabletome。
Thereisamarkedsimilarity，almostanidentity，betweenthereligiousinstitutionsofmostofthePolynesianislands，andinallexiststhemysterious“Taboo，“restrictedinitsusestoagreaterorlessextent。Sostrangeandcomplexinitsarrangementsisthisremarkablesystem，thatIhaveinseveralcasesmetwithindividualswho，afterresidingforyearsamongtheislandsinthePacific，andacquiringaconsiderableknowledgeofthelanguage，haveneverthelessbeenaltogetherunabletogiveanysatisfactoryaccountofitsoperations。SituatedasIwasintheTypeevalley，I
perceivedeveryhourtheeffectsofthisall-controllingpower，withoutintheleastcomprehendingit。Thoseeffectswere，indeed，wide-spreadanduniversal，pervadingthemostimportantaswellastheminutesttransactionsoflife。Thesavage，inshort，livesinthecontinualobservanceofitsdictates，whichguideandcontroleveryactionofhisbeing。
ForseveraldaysafterenteringthevalleyIhadbeensalutedatleastfiftytimesinthetwenty-fourhourswiththetalismanicword“Taboo“shriekedinmyears，atsomegrossviolationofitsprovisions，ofwhichIhadunconsciouslybeenguilty。ThedayafterourarrivalIhappenedtohandsometobaccotoTobyovertheheadofanativewhosatbetweenus。Hestartedup，asifstungbyanadder；
whilethewholecompany，manifestinganequaldegreeofhorror，simultaneouslyscreamedout“Taboo！“Ineveragainperpetratedasimilarpieceofill-manners，which，indeed，wasforbiddenbythecanonsofgoodbreeding，aswellasbythemandatesofthetaboo。
Butitwasnotalwayssoeasytoperceivewhereinyouhadcontravenedthespiritofthisinstitution。Iwasmanytimescalledtoorder，ifImayusethephrase，whenIcouldnotforthelifeofmeconjecturewhatparticularoffenceIhadcommitted。
OnedayIwasstrollingthroughasecludedportionofthevalley，andhearingthemusicalsoundoftheclothmalletatalittledistance，Iturneddownapaththatconductedmeinafewmomentstoahousewherethereweresomehalf-dozengirlsemployedinmakingtappa。