C H A P. IX.
A Defcription of the Country and its Inhabitants; their
Manners, Cujioms, and Arts.
’774- T SHA L L conclude our tranfadlions at this place, with September, § . A
u „— / A lome account of the country and its inhabitants. They
are a ftrong, robuft, a (Stive, well-made people, courteous and
friendly, and not in the leaft addicted to pilfering, which is
more than can be faid of any other nation in this fea. They
are nearly of the fame colour as the natives of Tanna, but
have better features, more agreeable countenances, and are
a much Router race; a few being feen who meafured fix
feet four inches. I obferved fome who had thick lips, flat
nofes, and full cheeks, and, in fome degree, the features
and look of a negro. Two things contributed to the
forming of fuch an idea 5 firft, their ruff mop heads; and
fecondly, their befmearing their faces with black pigment.
Their hair and beards are, in general, black. The former
is very much frizzled ; fo that, at firft fight, it appears like
that of a negro. It is, neverthelefs, very different; though
both coarfer and ftronger than ours.— Some, who wear it
long, tie it up on the crown of the head ; others fuffer only
a large lock to grow on each fide, which they tie up in clubs;
many others, as well as all the women, wear it cropped fhort.
Thefe rough heads, molt probably, want frequent fcratching;
for which purpofe they have a m o l excellent inftrument.
This is a kind of Comb made of flicks of hard wood, from
feven to nine or ten inches long, and about the thicknefs of
1 knitknitting
needles. A number of thefe, feldom exceeding Se’^ cr-
twenty, but generally fewer, are fattened together at one w— .— ■
end, parallel to, and near i-ioth of an inch from each other.
The other ends, which are a little pointed, will fpread out or
open like the flicks of a fan, by which means they can beat
up the quarters of an hundred lice at a time. Thefe combs
or fcratchers, for I believe they ferve both purpofes, they always
wear in their hair, on one fide their head. The people
of Tanna have an inftrument of this kind, for the fame ufe;
but theirs is forked, I think, never exceeding three or four
prongs; and fometimes only a fmall pointed flick. Their
beards, which are of the fame crifp nature as their hair, are,
for the moil part, worn fhort. Swelled and ulcerated legs
and feet are common among the men ; as alfo a fwelling of
the fcrotum. I know not whether this is occafioned by dif-
eafe, or by the mode of applying the wrapper, before-mentioned,
and which they ufe as at Tanna and Mallicollo. This
is their only covering, and is made generally of the bark of a
tree, but fometimes of leaves. The fmall pieces of cloth,,
paper, &c. which they got from us, were commonly applied
to this ufe. We faw coarfe garments amongft them, made
of a fort of matting, but they feemed never to wear them,
' except when out in their canoes and unemployed. Some^
had a kind of concave,' cylindrical, ftiff black cap, which
appeared to be a great ornament among them, and, we
thought, was only worn by men of note, or warriors. A.
large fheet of ftrong paper, when they got one from us, was.
generally applied to this' ufe.
The women’s drefs. is a fhort petticoat, made- of the-
filaments of the plantain tree, laid over a cord, to which
they are fattened, and tied round the waift. The petticoat 15