and the torala, a fort o f whimbrel, w hich are kn own by th e
fame names at Otaheite ; and it is probable, that there are
a great many forts, ju d g in g by the quantity o f fine y e llow ,
green, and very fmall, ve lvet-like, black feathers ufed
upon the cloaks, and other ornaments, worn b y the inhabitants.
pifli, and other marine productions were, to appearance,
not va r iou s; as, befides the fmall mackerel, w e only faw
common mullets 5 a fort o f a dead white, or ch a lk y colour ;
a fmall, browniih rock-fiih, fpotted with b lu e ; a turtle,
w h ich was penned up in a p o n d ; and three o r fo u r forts o f
filh falted. T h e few Ihell-fiih, that w e faw, were chiefly
converted into ornaments, though they neither had beauty
nor novelty to recommend them.
T h e h og s, dogs, and fowls, w h ich were the only tame o r
domeftic animals that we found here, were a ll o f the fame
kin d that we met with at the South Pacific iflands. There
were alfo fmall liza rd s; and fome rats, refembling thofe
feen at every ifland at w h ich we had, as yet, touched.
T h e inhabitants are o f a middling ftature, firmly made;
with fome exceptions, neither remarkable fo r a beautiful
ihape, nor fo r ftrikin g features, w hich rather exprefs an
opennefs and good-nature, than a keen, intelligent difpofi-
tion. Their vifage, efpecially amongft the women, is fome-
times rou n d ; but others have it lo n g ; nor can we fay, that
they are diftinguifhed, as a nation, by any general call o f
countenance. T h e ir colour is nearly o f a nut b row n ; and
it may be difficult to make a nearer comparifon, i f w e take
in all the different hues o f that co lo u r ; but fome individuals
are darker. T h e women have been already mentioned, as
b e in g little more delicate than the men, in their formation j
and
and I may fay, that, with a very few exceptions, the y have _ r?78-
i> 1 1 • i J F e b ru a r y ,
httle claim to thofe peculiarities that diftinguiih the fex, in '— .— j
other countries. There is, indeed, a more remarkable equality
in- the fize, colour, and figure o f both fexes, than in
moft places I have vilited. However, upon the whole, they
are far from b e in g u g ly , and appear to have few natural deformities
o f any kind. T h e ir Ikin is not v e ry foft, nor
ih in in g ; perhaps fo r want o f oiling, which is pracftifed at
the Southern iflands; but their eyes and te e th a re , in general,
v e ry tolerable. T h e hair, for the greateft part, is ■
ftraight, though, in fome, f r i z z l i n g a n d though its natural
colour be, commonly, black, it is ftained, as at the
Friendly and other iflands. We faw but few- inftances o f
corpulence ; and thefe oftener amongft the women than the '
m en ; but it was chiefly amongft the la tte r that perfonal
defects were obferved, though, i f any o f them can claim
a fhare o f beauty, it was, moft confpicuou s. amongft t h e ;
yo u n g men.
T h e y are vigorous, active, and moft expert fwim m e r sj
lea v in g their canoes upon the moft trifling occafion ; diving
under them ; and fw im m in g to others though at a great
diftance. It was ve ry common to fe e . women,, with infants
at the breaff, when the fu r f. was fo high, that they could
not land'in the canoes, leap overboard, and without endang
e r in g their little ones. fwim to the. Chore, through a fea
that looked dreadful.
T h e y feem.to be bleft-wit-h a fra n k , cheerful difpofition;
and were I to draw any companions, ihould fay,, that they
are equally fre e from the fickle levity w h ich diftinguifhes
the natives o f Otaheite, and the fedate caift obfervable
amongft many o f thofe o f Tongataboo. T h e y feem to live
very fociably in their intercourfe w ith one another ; and,
except