- f - '- j two pieces fewed together. The drefs of the better fort of
women confifts of three or four pieces: one piece, about two
yards wide and eleven yards long, they wrap feveral times
round their waift, fo as to hang down like a petticoat as low
as the middle of the leg, and this they call Parou: two or
three other pieces, about two yards and an half long and one
wide, each having a hole cut in the middle, they place one
upon another, and then putting the head through the holes,
they bring the long ends down before and behind ; the
others remain open at the fides, and give liberty to the arms:
this, which they call the Tebuta, is gathered round the waift,
and confined with a girdle or falh of thinner cloth, which is
long enough to go many times round them, and exactly re-
fembles the garment worn by the inhabitants of Peru and
Chili, which the Spaniards call Poncho. The drefs of the
men is the fame, except th.it inftead of fullering the cloth
that is wound about the hips to hang down like a petticoat,
they bring it between their legs fo as to have fome refem-
blance to breeches, and it is then called Man. This is the
drefs of all ranks of people, and being univerfally the fame
as to form, the gentlemen and ladies diftinguilh themfelves
from the lower people by the quantity; fome of them will
wrap round them feveral pieces of cloth, eight or ten yards
long, and two or three broad; and fome throw a large piece
loofely over their flxmlders in the manner of a cloak, or perhaps
two pieces, if they are very great perfonages, and are
defirous to appear in ftate. The inferior fort, who have only
a fmall allowance of cloth from the tribes or families to
which they belong, are obliged to be more thinly clad. In
the heat of the day .they appear almoft naked, the women
having only a fcanty petticoat, and the men nothing but the
falh that is palled between their legs and faftened round the
waift. As finery is always troublefome, and particularly in
2 a hot
a hot country, where it confifts in putting one covering upon
another, the women of rank always uncover themfelves as
low as the waift in the evening, throwing off all that they
wear on the upper part of the body, with the fame negligence
and eafe as our ladies would lay by a cardinal or
double handkerchief. And the Chiefs, even when they vi-
fited us, though they had as much cloth round their middle
as would clothe a dozen people, had frequently the reft of the
body quite naked.
Upon their legs and feet they wear no coverings but they
fliade their faces from the fun with little bonnets, either of
matting or of cocoa-nut leaves, which they make occafionally
in a few minutes. This, however, is not all their head-
drefs ; the women fometimes wear little turbans, and fome-
times a drefs which they value much more, and which, indeed,
is much more becoming, called Tomou ; the Tornou confifts
of human hair, plaited in threads, fcarcely thicker than
fewing filk. Mr. Banks has pieces of it above a mile in
length, without a knot. Thefe they wind round the head in
fuch a manner as produces a very pretty effeft, and in a very
great quantity; for I have feen five or fix fuch pieces wound
about the head of one woman': among thefe threads they flick
flowers of various kinds, particularly the cape-jeflamine, of
which they have great plenty, as it is always planted near
their houfes. The men fometimes flick the tail feather of
the Tropic-bird upright in their hair, which, as I have ob-
ferved before, is often tied in a bunch upon the top of their
heads: fometimes they wear a kind of whimfical garland,
made of flowers of various kinds, ftuck into a piece o f the
rind of a plantain ; or of fcarlet peas, ftuck with gum upon
a piece of wood: and fometimes they wear a kind, of wig;
made of the hair of men or dogs, or perhaps o f cocoa-nut
firings, woven upon one thread, which is tied under their
hair,,