ms March. But thefe people, from whatever eaufe, being inured to
war, and by habit confidering every ftranger as an enemy,
were always difpofed to attack us when they were not intimidated
by our manifeft fuperiority. At firft, they had no
notion of any fuperiority but numbers; and when this was
on their fide, they .confidered all our cxprefiions of kindnefs
as the artifices of fear and cunning, to circumvent them,
and preferve ourfelves : but when they were once convinced
of our power, after having provoked us to the ufe of our
fire-arms, though loaded only with fmall fhot; and of our
clemency, by our forbearing to make ufe of weapons fo
dreadful except in our defence ; they became at once friendly,
and even affectionate, placing in us the moft unbounded
.confidence, and doing every thing which could incite us to
put equal confidence in them. It is alfo remarkable, that
when an intercourfe was once cffabiifhed between us,-they
were very rarely detected in any aft o f diflionefty. Before,
indeed, and while they confidered us as enemies, who came
upon their coaft only to make an advantage of them, they
did nor fcru.pl e by any means-to make an advantage of us;
and would, therefore, when they had received the price of
any thing they had offered to fell, pack up both the pur-
chafe and the purchafe-money with all pofiible compofure,
as fo much lawful plunder from people who had no view
but to plunder them.
I have obferved that our friends in the South Seas had not
even the idea of indecency, with refpeft to any objeft or any
action ; but this was by no means the.cafe with the inhabitants
of New .Zealand, in whofe carriage and eonverfation
there was as much modeft referve and decorum with refpesff
to atffions, which yet in their opinion were not criminal, as
are to be found among the politeft people in Europe. The
women were not impregnable; but the terms and manner
of
of compliance were as decent as thofe in marriage among us, i77°-
and according to their notions, the agreement was as mno- i__,_
cent. When any of our people made an overture to one of
their young women, he was given to underftand that the
confent of her friends was neceflary, and by the influence of
a proper prefent, it was generally obtained ; but when thefe
preliminaries were fettled, it was alfo neceflary to treat the
wife for a night, with the fame delicacy that is here required
by the wife for life, and the lover who prefumed to take any
liberties by which this was violated, was fure to be difap-
pointed.
One of our gentlemen having made his addrefies to a family
o f the better fort, received an anfwer, which, tranflated
into our language, according to the mode and fpirit o f it, as
well as the letter, would have been exactly ia thefe terms :
“ Any of thefe young ladies will think themfelves honoured
by your addrefies, but you muff firft make me a fuitable prefent,
and you muff then come and fleep with us on fhore, for
daylight muff by no means be a witnefs of what pafles between
you.”
I have already obferved, that in perfonal cleanlinefs they
are not quite equal to our friends at Otaheite ; becaufe, not
having the advantage of fo warm a climate, they do not fo
often go into the water; but the moft difguftful thing about
them is the oil, with which, like the Iflanders, they anoint
their hair: it is certainly the fat either of filh or of birds,
melted down, and though the better fort have it frelh, their
inferiors ufe that which is rancid, and confequently are al-
moft as.difagreeable to the fmell as a Hottentot; neither are
their heads free from vermin, though we obferved ft hat they
were furniffied with combs, both of bone and wood : thefe
combs are fometimes worn ftuck upright in the hair as an
ornament,.