w h ich w e obferved, were o f an exceedingly rude kind. One
o f them does not produce a melody exceeding that o f a
child’ s rattle. It coniifts o f what ma y be called a conic cap
inverted, but fcarcely hollowed at the bafe above a foot
h ig h , made o f a coarfe, fedge-like p la n t ; the upper part o f
w h ich , and the edges, are ornamented w ith beautiful red
fea th e r s ; and to the point, or lower part, is fixed a gourd-
fhell, larger than the fift. Into this is put fomething to
rattle ; w hich is done b y holding the inftrument b y the
fmall part, and ih a k in g , or rather moving it, from place to
place briik ly, either to different fides, or backward and forward,
juft before the face, ftriking the breail with the other
hand at the fame t im e * . T he other mufical inftrument (if
either o f them deferve that name) w a s a hollow veflel o f
wood, lik e a platter, combined w ith the ufe o f two flicks,
on w h ich one o f our gentlemen faw a man performing.
He held one o f the flicks, about two feet long, as- we do a
fiddle, with one hand, and ftruck it w ith the other, w hich
was fmaller, and refembled a drum-ftick, in a quicker or
flower m e a fu r e ; at the fame time beating w ith his foot
upon the hollow veffel, that la y inverted upon the ground,
and thus producing a tune, that was by no means'difagree?
able. T h is mufic was accompanied by the vocal performance
o f fome women, whofe fong had a pleafing and tender
e ffe a .
We obferved great numbers o f fmall polifhcd rods, about
four or five feet long, fomewhat thicker than the ramme t
o f a mufquet, with a tuft o f long, white dog’s hair fixed on
the fmall end. Thefe are, probably, ufed in their diver-
fions. We faw a perfon take one o f them in his hand, and.
* See Plate, N ° L X V H .
holdin g it up, g iv e' a fmart ftroke, till he hrought it into an
horizontal pofition, ftrikin g with the foot, on the fame fide,
upon the ground, and, w ith his other hand, beating his
breaft at the fame time. T h e y play at bowls, with pieces
o f the w hetftone mentioned before, o f about a pound weight,
ihaped fomewhat lik e a fmall cheefe, but rounded at the
fides and edges, w h ich are very nicely polifh ed, and they
have other bowls o f the fame fort, made o f a heavy, red-
diih brown clay, neatly gla zed over w ith a eompofition o f
the fame colour, or o f a coarfe, dark grey ilate. T h e y alfo
ufe, in the manner that we throw quoits, fmall, flat, rounded
pieces o f the w riting flate, o f the diameter o f the bowls, but
fcarcely a quarter o f an in ch thick, alfo well polifhed.
From thefe eircumftances, one would be induced to thin k,
that their games are rather trials o f ik ill than o f ftrength.
In every thing manufactured b y thefe people, there appears
to be an uncommon degree o f neatnefs and in g en u ity .
T h e ir cloth, which is the principal manufacture, is made
from the moms pdpyrifera; and, doubtlefs, in the fame manner
as at Otaheite and Tongataboo ; for w e bought fome o f
the g rooved flicks, with which it is beaten. Its texture, however,
though thicker, is rather inferior to that o f the cloth o f
either o f the other places; but, in colouring or ftaining it, the
people o f Atooi difplay a fuperiority o f tafte, by the endlefs=
variation o f figures which they execute; One would fup-
pofe, on feeing a number o f their pieces, that they had borrowed
their patterns from fome mercer’s fhop; in which the
moil elegant productions o f China and Europe are collected
befides fome original patterns o f their own. T h e ir colours,
indeed, except the red, are not very b r ig h t ; but the regularity
o f the figures-and ilripes is truly fu p riz in g ; for, as far
as w e knew, they have, nothing like ftamps or prints, to»
maker
1.778.
F e b ru a r y .
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