manners Ocean are fo very little varied, that Europeans, ufed both to a var
riety of occupations, and a round o f amufements, would think
their way o f living highly infipid and Uniform. ; they commonly
rife with the fun, and as they have'not a variety o f garments to put
on, they wrap themfelves in the fame clothes which ferved them
for a cover during night, then go fo the river or fea; and bathe ;
after which ablution each follows fome occupation, either TO filh
at low water on the reef furrounding the ifland, Or to dig, up fome
ground intended for the plantation o f the cloth-tree, which is .commonly
manured with broken fliells ; or to colltdf fome bread-fruity
for making a four pafte, to be laid up for the feafon when none is to be
had on the trees ; or he climbs; up to the elevated vallies between the
mountains, and fetches from thence fome; loads o f the large horfe-
plantanes or he is occupied in felling large trees for making canoes
or building houfes ; or his time is taken up in excavating-a canoe,
or fewing the feveral pieces together with cords made of-coco-nut
core : at other time's he plants a young plantane-ihoot, and furrounds
it with pegs and fticks, that dogs, fwine, and children, may not
hurt or deftroy it : the making o f ftfti-hooks and Of lines, from the
filaments of a grals, or o f cordage o f various fize and ufe, from coco
nut core, is another employment, or the manufacturing of a
lance, a war-club, a breaft-plate, a fcoop for the canoe, a paddle,
or fome other fuch inftrument, ufed in war or peace, is either his
occupa^
H U M A N S P E C I E S .
occupation or amufement. About noon, having walked his hands,
he begins his meal of bread-fruit or four-pafte baked by hot ftones
underground, and has perhaps, his brother and fon for companions,
whilft his wife and the females o f the family, retire with their
portion to another part of the houfe, or wait till the males have
finilhed their, meal. Clear water is their common drink, and
frequentlyeven fea-water. Another ablution o f the hands concludes
the dinner, and i f the occupations in which he is engaged
are not prefling, he refts on the ground in his hut, or i f he be weary
from conftant hard labour, whether from a long walk, or from,
hard paddling, he" refufes not to refrelh his exhaufted fpirits by a.
feafonable fleep during the heat of the day, and in the cool of the.
evening returns to his former occupations with renewed vigour,,
till the declining fun bids him reft from the toils of the day; when-
after another flight repaft, and another ablution, he lays down on
the ground on a mat, and covers himfelf with his garment, by the
fide o f his wife; unlefs he finds it more neceflary to go. on the reef
with lighted links, in queftof aprovifionof filh-
T h e more barbarous, the left poliihed the manners of the nation
are, the more m a r k s o f c r u e l t y towards ftrangers are generally
obferved; and-in this refpeCl, I. ftiould think, the natives of the-
tropical iflands fliewed the mod favourable fymptoms of friendfhip
and philanthropy; for as foon as our fhips arrived, they were
received
MANNERS