A 4 < $ .2 V O Y A G E ROUND THE WO R L D .
'g m together, of which the planks were fewed in the fame
manner as in the common canoe; but they were covered
all over, and had, a kind of elevated ftage or platform, like
the Taheitian war-canoes *. Some of them may carry one
hundred and fifty men; and their fails, which are latine,
are made of ftrong mats, in which the rude figure of a tor-
toife or a cock, &c. is fometimes reprefented t- As a farther
detail would be tedious to moft readers, and inftruftive
only to mariners, I omit it in this place, and refer thofe
who wifh to be better acquainted with the fubjeft to the
accurate figures with which Mr. Hodges has ornamented
captain Cook’s account of this voyage. I fliall only ob-
ferve, that it appears probable from the good conftruction
of the failing-boats, that the inhabitants of thefe iflands
are more experienced mariners than thofe of Taheitee and
the Society Ifl.es.
Among the great numbers of people who furrounded
our {hips, we obferved feveral whofe hair deemed to be burnt
at the ends, and were flrewed with a white powder. Upon
examination we found that this powder was nothing elfe
than lime, made of fhells or coral, which had corroded or
burnt the hair. The tafte of powdering was at its height
* See Hawkefworth, vol. II, p. 221.
f T h e figure o f a canoe in Schouten’s voyage, gives a very good idea o f one
o f the failing-boats o f Tonga-Tabboo. See Dairymple’s Collefiion, vol. II.
pag, ly , 18.
in
A V O Y A G E ROUND T H E WORLD. 463
in this ifland. We obferved a man who had employed a October
blue powder, and many perfons of both fexes who wore an
orange powder, made of turmerick. St. Jerom, who
preached againft the vanities of the age, very ferioufly reprehends
a fimilar cuftom 'in the Roman ladies : “ Ne irru-
fet crimes, et anticipet Jibi igv.es Gehenna /” Thus, by an admirable
fimiiarity of follies, the modes of the former inhabitants
of Europe are in full force among the modern antipodes,
and our inffpid beaux, whofe only pride is the-invention
of a new fafhion, are forced1 to fhare that flender
honour with the uncivilized-natives of an ifle in the South
Seas.
My father did not return from his excurfion till the even-- r
mg, having proceeded a confiderable way towards the fouth
end of the ifland. At noon a fmart fhower had obliged
him to retire into a plantation and to rake fhelter in a houfe.
Fortunately for him the owner of this cottage was at home
and immediately invited him to fit down on the clean mats
which covered the floor, whilft he went to provide fome
refreflimenrs. In a few moments he brought feveral coconuts,
and having opened his oven under ground, took out
fome bananas- and fifhes, wrapped in leaves, which were
perfectly well done and delicious to the tafte. The manner
of cooking provifions is therefore exaflly the fame as at
Taheitee ; nor are the natives lefs inclinable to aids of hof-
pitality and benevolence, though thefe virtues were not fo
frequently