F eS ’ry their great labour and patience in execution. Their cordage
— > for fiihing-lines is equal, in ftrength and evennefs, to that
mad&by us ; and their nets not at all inferior. But what
muft coil them more labour than any other article, is the
making the tools we have mentioned ; for the ftone is exceedingly
hard, and the only method of fafhioning it, we
can guefs at, is by rubbing one ftone upon, another, which
can have but a flow effeft. Their fubftitute for a knife is
a ihell, a bit of flint, or jafper. And, as an auger, to bore
holes, they fix a ihark’s tooth in the end of a fmall piece of
wood. It is true, they have a fmall faw made of fome jagged
fiihes teeth, fixed on the convex edge of a piece of wood
nicely carved. But this, they fay, is only ufed to cut up
the bodies of their enemies whom they kill in battle.
No people can have a quicker fenfe o f an injury done to
them, and none are more ready to refent it. But, at the fame
time, they will take an opportunity of being infolent when
they think there is no danger of puniihment; which is fo
contrary to the fpirit of genuine bravery, that, perhaps,
their eagernefs to refent injuries is to be looked upon rather
as an effedt of a furious difpoiition than of great courage.
They alfo appear to be of a fufpicious or miftruftful temper
(which, however, may rather be acquired than natural), for
ftrangers never came to our ihips immediately, but lay in
their boats at a fmall diftance, either to obferve our motions,
or confult whether or no they flrould riik their fafety with
us. To, this they join a great degree of diihonefty'; for
they fteal every thing the^ can lay their hands on, if there
be the leaft hope of not being detected; and, in trading, I
have little doubt but they would take advantages, if they
thought it could be done with fafety; as they not only refufe
M U S I ! to
to truft a thing in one’s hand for examination, but exult i f 1777-
they think they have tricked you in the bargain. ■ vFebr.ual7'
Such conduit, however, is, in fome meafure, to be expected
where there appears to be but little fubordination,
and confequently few, if any, laws, to puniih tranfgreflions!
For no man’s authority feems to extend farther than his
own family ■ and when, at any time, they join for mutual
defence, or any other purpofe, thofe amongft them who
are eminent for courage or prudence, are directors. How
their private quarrels are terminated is uncertain ; but, in
the few we faw, which were of little confequence, the
parties concerned were clamorous and diforderly.
Their public contentions are frequent, or rather perpetual;
for it appears, from their number of weapons, and dexterity
in ufing them, that war is their principal profeflion. Thefe
weapons are fpears, patoos and halberts, or fometimes
«ones. The firft are made of hard wood pointed, of different
lengths, from five, to twenty, or even thirty feet long.
The ihort ones are ufed for throwing as darts. The patoo or
emeete is of an elliptical Ihape, about eighteen inches long,
with a handle made of wood, ftone, the bone of fome fea
animal, or green, jafper, and feems to be their principal
dependence in battle. The halbert, dr long club, is about
five or fix feet long, tapering at one end with a carved head,
and at the other, broad or flat, with fharp edges.
Before they begin the onfet, they join in a war-fong, to
which they all keep the exadleft time, and foon raife their
paflion to a degree of frantic fury, attended with the moft
horrid diftortion of their eyes, mouths, and longues, to
firike terror into their enemies ; which, to thofe who have
not been accuftomed to fuch a practice, makes them ap-
Vot- I | - pear