o
3*2 2 R E M A R K S o n t h e
ORIGIN
OF SOCIETIES.
dread. In vidory they are infolent, cruel, and vindidive, carrying
it to the moll: unnatural and inhuman.degree, viz. that o f feafting.
upon the vidims o f their vidorious prowefs. Th e y treat their
women in the mod oppreffive manner, like the mod abjed drudges,,
or Haves, and the parents and relations , frequently fold to the
ftrangers the favours o f the females, even againft their w i l l ; which,
circumftances certainly proceed from the injurious and overbearing,
notions entertained in regard to their women, whom they do not
think to be helpmates, but creatures intended for the fatisfadion
o f brutifh defires only, and deftined to confirm them in idlenefs
and indolence. This, idea prevailed fo far, that. we frequently
faw the little boys ftrike their mothers, while the fathers flood by
and would not permit the mothers to corred. their children. They
have all a' paffion for ornaments, and drefs j and they decorate the
moft common tools o f hufbandry or their arms, in a curious manner
with volutes and fcrolls, not altogether without, tafte. Th e y are
fond o f romantic and fabulous tales, o f mufic, forigs- and dances;
even their fights are begun with a martial cadenced fong and dance.
Th e y have fome ideas o f religion, and accounts of various invifible
divinities, and a belief of theexiftence of the fouls o f their friends. ■,
but fuperftition feems not to have gained much ground among
them, as far as we could oblerve. T h e y have however, rites and
cuftoms peculiar to themfelves, which they perform on certain
j occafio,ns:
h u m a n S P E C I E S . 3 2 3
occafions: for inftance, in forming friendfhips and making peace, origin
. OF SOCI- .
in announcing war and burying their'dead, wmch laft fometimes are e f i e s.
funk, it feems, in the fea. Th e natives o f New-Zeeland, build
feme o f their houfes and cottages with an elegance and neatnefs,
■ which makes them 'far fuperior to the wretched hovels, of the
inhabitants o f Tierra del Fuego : f ;r they are well covered on all
lides with thatchj and the infideswe found lined with reeds, fo
that they really had an appearance- o f neatnefs ; and we fometimes
faw federal huts feparated from- the reft by inclofures of thatch,
which I fuppofe was done with a view to. fcreen them Till more
from the raging winds, and to ftielter their fires, which are commonly
made at the entrance: of their huts. Their boats are
ftronger than thofe of Tierra del Fuego, and not without tafte in
their ornaments, nor without contrivance-in their whole ftrudure^
and fhape, which, with the dexterous management of their paddles
gives them an eafy and fwift motion. Their drefs not only covers
their nudities, but affords them fhelter againft the inclemencies of
their climate, which is lefs ri gorous in winter than that of Tierra
del-Fuego in fummer : it is likewife woven with neatnefs, encompaffed
with borders, worked into various patterns of,black, brown
and white, ornamented on its corners with pieces o f dogs-fkin,
and fometimes covered all over with patches of white and black
dogs-fkin, difpofed in regular compartments. They wear over
•p t 2 . ' their