August. much real pleafure, as the confidence they had placed
in him, upon which he feemed to value himfelf among his
countrymen. Perhaps this circumflance, joined to the
peaceable appearance of our gentlemen, who walked without
arms of any kind; had a general cffeCt upon all the
people that furrounded us, as their familiarity and affection
feemed much encreafed. We entered a fpacious hut
together, where we faw a large family afiembled. An old
man, with a placid countenance, lay on a clean mat, and
refled his head on a little flool, which ferved as a pillow.
His head, which was truly venerable, was well furnifhed
with fine locks of a filvery grey, and a thick beard as
white as fnow defcended to his breafi. His eyes were lively,
and health fat on his full cheeks. His wrinkles,
which characterize age with us, were few and not deep;
for cares, trouble, and difappointment, which untimely
furrow our brows, cannot be fuppofed to exift in this happy
nation. Several little ones, whom we took to be his
grand-children, and who, according to the cuftom of the
country, were perfectly naked, played with their aged an-
ceflor, while his actions and looks convinced us, that the
fimple way of living to which he had been ufed, had not
yet blunted his fenfes. Several well-made men and artlefs
nymphs, in whom youth fupplied the want of beauty, fur-
rounded the old man, and as we came in feemed to be in
converfation after a frugal meal. They defired us to fit
down
■ down on the mats among them, and we did not give them A ugust*
time to repeat their invitation. Their curiofity, which had
perhaps never before been gratified with the fight of ftrang-
ers, now prompted them to examine our drefs and our arms,
without bellowing their attention longer than a moment on
any Angle object. They'admired our colour, preffed our
hands, feemed to wonder that we had no punCtures on them,
nor long nails on our fingers, and eagerly enquired for our
names, which when known, they were happy to repeat.
Tbefe names, as they pronounced them, were not fo like the
originals that an etymologift could eafily have deduced
them, but in return they were more harmonious, and eafily
pronounced. Fortier was changed into Matdra, Hodges
into Oreo, Grindall into Torino, Sparrman into Pamanee, and
George into Teoree. The hofpitality which we had found
under every roof, was not wanting here, and we were offered
fome coco-nuts and e-vees to quench our thirft after
the laft walk. One of the young men had a flute made of
a bamboo, which had but three holes ; he blew it with
his noflrils *, whilfl another accompanied him with the
voice. The whole mufic, both vocal and inftrumental,
confifled of three or four notes, which were between half
and quarter notes, being neither whole tones nor femi-tones.
The effeCt of thefe notes, without variety or order, was only
a kind of drowfy hum, which could not indeed hurt
the