'mber, joy men ts of life. ■ They are obliged to work hard, at times,
for the means of fubfiftence; but their leifure hours are
fpent in indolence, without thofe little recreations which
contribute fo much to the happinefs of mankind, and dif-
fufe a fpirit of cheerfulnefs and vivacity throughout the
Society and Friendly lllands. Befides the little - whittle
which I have mentioned above, we never faw a mufical in-
ftrument among the people of New Caledonia. Their
dances and fongs are equally unknown to us ; and what we
obferved during our fhort ftay, gave us reafon to fuppofe,
that even laughter is an uncommon gueft among them.
They are likewife niggards of fpeech, and we rarely met
with individuals among them, who took a pleafure in holding
converfe with us. Their language therefore feems to
be uncultivated, and their pronunciation fo indiftindt, that
the vocabularies which feveral of our Ihipmates collected,
difagreed remarkably. Though they have few harlh con-
fonants, they have a frequent return of gutturals and fome-
times a nafal found, or rhinifmus, which commonly puzzled
thofe who were not acquainted with any other language
than the, Englilh. Perhaps, their plantations lying remote
from each other, are the means_of preventing that familiar
intercourfe which would gradually give life to the pleafures
of fociety. As their country feems not to be very fit for
agriculture, the beft means to forward civilization among
them might be the introduction of quadrupeds, fuch as
they
they fhould not find it difficult to maintain ; for inftance, a September.
few hogs, to keep near their huts, and goats to run wild.
The latter in all probabilily would thrive extremely well
in that dry climate, and afford an excellent article of
food.
That fimplicity which is remarkable in their domeftie
life, cannot fail to be confpicuous in their government.
Teabooma was acknowledged as a chief in the diftridt op-
polite the Ihip’s anchoring-place; ' but the poverty of the
country did not afford him great and exclufive advantages,
and luxury being hitherto unknown, he lived like the reft
of his countrymen. Among a people fo fimple we cannot
expedt exterior marks of deference ; and the only adt which
feemed to indicate a certain degree of homage on their part,
confifted in delivering to the chief, the prefents which they
had received from Mr. PickerfgiU at their firft interview.
The neighbouring diftridts are not under the government
of Teabooma, and probably have their own chiefs ; or perhaps
each family forms a little kingdom of its own, which
is diredted by its patriarch, as mutt be the cafe in all infant-
ftates. We cannot attempt to extend our obfervations to the
religion of the natives,, of which, in the fpace of eight days,
. we had no opportunity of acquiring any information. We
did not obferve any thing which might diftantly be con-
.ftrued into a religious adt, nor remark a fingle cuftom
which had the leaft colour of fuperftition. Probably the
fimplicity