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MANNERS
R. E M A R K S o n- t h e
with a kind o f ochre.; in Tanna they fometimes-Mdr on their faces
black and white paint, in oblique alternating bands; the hair was,
fometimes divided into a great number of firings, not thicker: than
a crow-s-quill, ,and wrapt in.ftrings-'pf the bark, o f a bindweed,,
(convolvulus) which gave their heads a very odd appearance the
ears were .generally pierced, and ornamented with rings- of. T o r -
toife-fhell; nay-, in Nevv-Caleidonia and Esther-liland,. we found
the hole enlarged to filch a fize; that ffouf or five lingers might,
eafily pafs -through,- and: the under, part.hung down aliaoih to the
Ihoulders. Thefe .preternatural-apertures were.commonly dfftended:
b y fcrolls o f the elaitic fugar-canc-leaves,, or loaded with huge earrings,
fometimes amounting to eighteen in'number .. T h e inhabitants
o f the Friendly-illands had the ear perforated, by. two holes,
through which they thrud, horizontally, a piece o f bamboo reed,
ora cylinder of tortoife-ihell, or other fheli. In:Mallicolloand Tan-
nay feveral men had the feptum nariumperforated, and die hole filled
with a cylindrical Hone; the heads o f molt o f the men were bare;,
that o f women often covered w ith a leaf o f the arum- efcukntum,
or the dracontium pertufum, or only furrounded by a fillet, or firing.
In New-Caledonia, many men had high cylindrical black, caps,
made o f fplit bamboos, and coco-nut-core, which gave them a .martial
appearance; nor had feveral of thefe nations forgotten to ornament
their bodies, by pundluring them in various figures, and fil-
* ling
H U M A N S P E C I E S ,
ling the pundtures- with.pounded coals or foot. But .the more civilized
inhabitants of Taheitee and the Suciety-ifles, living in the fame
mild tropicabelimate,.have-adopted a convenient, elegant drefs: the
lower, part of the Body is generally wrapt in pieces of this cloth to
the middle of. the calf o f their, legs, and' the upper part is covered,
with another piece, having a longitudinal hole cut in the middle o f
it, through, which they thruft their .heads, and thus they cover their.
Ihoulders, half of their arms, their backs and, breafts : fometimes
thefe parts hang loofe,. and at. other times- they are tied fall to the
body by the lower wrapper.. This lower Wrapper is likewife
adopted by the inhabitants o f the Eriendly-iflands,, with the entire
otmfflon- o f the upper-garment,, which has the hole in the
middle, and. is called by the Taheiteans, thpoeta.. In the Mar-
quefas and Eafier-Ifland, the fame kind of cloth is ufed by the natives,
though the full drefs feemed to be only a garment of. ceremony,
when--their chiefs and women appeared in fiate;. the reft o£
the nation being, but indifferently covered- with fhort wrappers;
about the loins. Thus may we fee the prOgrefs, -in the drefs which,
originated from a neceffary lhelter againft the inclemencies of the
climate, and, from a fenfe o f modefty was improved to a covering,
equally fitted, for convenience and elegance.
T h e inhabitants o f the Society-ifles, are among all the nations
o f the South-Seas,, the moft cleanly; and the better fort of them
n
MANNER
carry.