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weight, great and fmail. The only piece of iron they faw among them was a fmailbroad awl, which had been made of a nail.
Both men and women aye of a common fize with Europeans ; and their colour isthat of a lightifh copper, and more uniformly l’o than amongft the inhabitants ofOtaheite and the Society ifles. The women are the merrieft creatures they ever metwith, and will keep chattering by one’s fide, without the leaft invitation, or confideringwhether they are underftood, provided one does but feern pleafed with them. In generalthey appeared to be modeft, although there was no want of thofe of a different ftamp ;and as they had yet fome venereal complaints on board, Captain Cook took all poffiblecare to prevent the diforder being communicated to them. Upon raoft occafions theyihewed a flrong propenfity to pilfering; in which they were full as expert as theOtaheiteans.
They have fine eyes, and in general good teeth, even to an advanced age. Thecuftom of tattowing, or puncturing the fkin, prevails. The men are tattowed fromthe middle of the thigh to above the hips. The women have it only on their arms andfingers; and there but very fiightly.
The drefs of both fexes confifts of a piece of cloth, or matting, wrapped round thewaift, and hanging down below the knees. From the w'aift, upwards, they are generallynaked ; and it feemed to be a cuftom to anoint thefe parts every morning. My friendAttago never failed to do it; but whether out of refpedt to me, or from cuftom, Iwill not pretend to fay; though I rather think from the latter, as he was not Angularin the practice.
Their ornaments are amulets, necklaces, and bracelets of bones, fhells, and beadsof mother of pearl, tortoife-fhell, &c. which are worn by both fexes. They make va-rious forts of matting; fome of a very fine texture, which is generally ufed for clothing jand the thick and ftronger fort ferves to fleep on, and to make fails for their canoes,&c. Among other ufeful utenfils, they have various forts of bafkets ; fome made ofthe fame materials as their mats ; and others of the tvvifted fibres of cocoa-nuts. Thefeare not only durable but beautiful, being generally compofed of different colours, andftudded with beads made of fhells or bones. They have many little nick-nacks amongftthem which {hew that they neither want tafte to defign, nor {kill to execute, what-ever they take in hand.
The women frequently entertained them with fongs, in a manner which was agreeableenough. They accompany the mufic by fnapping their fingers, fo as to keep time toit. Not only their voices, but their mufic was very harmonious, and they have a con-fiderable compafs in their notes. Their only inftruments are a flute and a drum.
The common method of faluting one another is by touching or meeting nofes, as i sdone in New Zealand ; and their fign of peace to ftrangers, is the difplaying a whiteflag or flags ; at leaft fuch were difplayed to them when they firft drew near the fh° ie 'From their .unfufpicious manner of coming on board, and of receiving them at fit!on fhore, it appears they are feldom difturbed by either foreign or domeftic troubles.They are, however, not unprovided with very formidable weapons; fuch as clubsand fpears, made of hard wood ; alfo bows and arrows. The clubs are from three tofive feet in length, and of various fhapes. Some of their fpears have many barbs, anmuft be very dangerous weapons where they take eftedt.
They have a fingular cuftom of putting every thing you give them to their heads, byway of thanks. Very often the women would take hold of Captain Cook ’s hand, k 1 bit, and lift it to their heads.
A very