thofe curious and Angular mourning drefles, which are
mentioned in captain Cook’s firft voyage *, and which they
would not part with on any account at that time._ Thefe
dreffes being made of the rareft produirions of th.eir ifland,
and of the furrounding fea, and being wrought with the
greateft care and ingenuity, muft of courfe bear a very com
fiderable value among them. A number of complete
mourning dreffes, not lefs than ten, were purchafed
by different perfons on board, and brought to England,
Captain Cook has given one to the Britilh Mufeum,
and my father has had the honour of prefenting another
to the Univerlity of Oxford, now depofited in the
Afhmolean Mufeum. This remarkable drefs confifts of
a thin flat board, of a femicircular form, about two feet
long, and four or five inches broad. Upon thefe are fixed
four or five chofen mother of pearl (hell’s, by means of
firings of coco-nut core paffed through feveral holes which
are pierced in the wood, and in the edges of the (hells. A
larger (hell of the fame kind, fringed with bluifli-green
pigeon’ s feathers, is fixed to each end of this board, of which
the concave margin is placed upwards. Upon the middle
of the concave margin there are two (hells, which together
form nearly a circle about fix inches in diameter ; and on
the top of thefe a very large piece of mother of pearl, com-
* See Hawkfworth’s .Compilation, vol. II. p. 143. 146. 236. alto the plate,
K<). 5.
mon! y
monly with its purple coating on, is placed upright. It is a?”
of an oblong (hape, enlarging rather towards the upper
end, and its height is nine or ten inches. - A great number
of long White feathers, from the tropic bird’s tail, form a radiant
circle round it. From the convex margin of the board
hangs down a tiffue of fmall pieces of mother of pearl, in
fize and (hape fomething like an apron. This confifts of
ten or fifteen rows of pieces about an inch and a half
long, and one-tenth of an inch in breadth, each piece
being perforated at both ends, in order to be fixed to the
other rows. Thefe rows are made perfectly (height and
parallel to each other; therefore the uppermoft are divided,
and extremely (hort, on account of the femicircular (hape o f
the board. The lower rows are likewife commonly narrower,
and from the ends of each row a firing hangs down,
ornamented with opercula of (hells, and fometimes with European
beads. A taffel or round tail of green and yellow
feathers hangs down from the upper ends of the board on
the fide of the apron, which is the mod (hewy part of the
whole drefs. A ftrong rope is fixed on each fide of that
pair of (hells, which refts immediately upon the concave
margin of the board, and this firing is tied about the head
of the perfon who wears the drefs. The whole piece hangs
down perpendicularly before him, the apron hides his
bread and ftomach, the board covers his neck and (houl-
ders, and the firft pair of (hells comes before his face. In
Vol.II. L one