' 777-
July.
L.
former), about two yards wide, and two and a half long ;
i at leaft, fo long as to go once and a half round the waift,
to which it is confined by a girdle or cord. It is double
before, and hangs down, like a petticoat, as low as the
middle of the leg. The upper part of the garment, above
the girdle, is plaited into feveral folds ; fo that, when unfolded,
there is cloth fufficient to draw up and wrap round
the fhoulders; which is very feldom done. This,' as to
form, is the general drefs; but large pieces of cloth, and
fine matting, are worn only by the fuperior people. The
inferior fort are fatisfied with fmall pieces; and, very often,
wear nothing but a covering made of leaves of plants, or
the maro, which is a narrow piece of cloth, or matting, like
a fafh. This they pafs between the thighs, and wrap
round the waift; but the ufe of it is chiefly confined to the
men. In their great havaas, or entertainments, they have
various drefles made for the purpofe ; but the form is always
the fame; and the richeft drefles are covered, more or
lefs, with red feathers. On what particular occafion their
Chiefs wear their large red feather-caps, I could not
learn. Both men and women fometimes fliade their
faces from the fun with little bonnets, made of various
materials.
As the clothing, fo are -the ornaments, worn by thofe
of both fexes, the fame. The moft common of thefe are
necklaces, made of the fruit of the pandamu, and various
fweet-fmelling flowers, which go under the general name
of kahulla. Others are compofed of fmall fhells, the wing
and leg-bones of birds, fhark’s teeth, and other things; all
which hang loofe upon the breaft. In the fame manner,
they often wear a mother-of-pearl fhell, neatly poliihed
or a ring of the fame fubftance carved, on the upper part
I of
of the arm; rings of tortoife-lhell on the fingers; and a
number of thefe, joined together, as bracelets on the
wrifts.
The lobes o f, the ears (though, moil: frequently, only
one) are perforated with two holes, in which they wear
cylindrical bits of ivory, about three-inches long, introduced
at one hole, and brought out of the other; or bits
of reed of the fame fize, filled with a yellow pigment. This
feems to be a fine powder of turmeric, with which the women
rub themfelves all over, in the fame manner as our:
ladies ufe their dry rouge upon the cheeks.
Nothing appears to give them greater pleafure than per--
fonal cleanlinefs to produce which, they frequently bathe •
in the ponds, which feem to ferve no other purpofe*.
Though the water in moft of them ftinks intolerably, they
prefer them to the fea; and they are fo fenfible that fait
water hurts their lkin, that, when neceflity obliges them
to bathe in the fea, they commonly have fome cocoa-nut;
fhells, filled with-frefli water, poured over them, to wafh
it off. They are immoderately fond of cocoa-nut oil for
the fame reafon; a great quantity of which they not only,
pour upon their head and fhoulderS, but rub the body all
over, brifldy, with a fmaller quantity. And none but thofe;
who have feen this practice, can eafily conceive how the
appearance, of the ikin is improved by it. This oil, however,
is not to be procured by every one ; and the inferior
fort of people, doubtlefs, appear lefs fmooth for want of i t .,
* So at the Caroline Iilands. “ Us font: accoutemes a fe baigner trois fais, Ie :
^jqur , le.matin, a.midi, .& fur le fair.”
Lettr.es E dif antes &. Curieufes, Tom. xv. p.314., .
C H A P.