;
y??; from thefe circumftances, for us to think that they were re- April* . . _ , ... ; • J ; .
— .---- ' prefentatives o f their, gods, or fymbols o f fome religious or
fuperftitious object : and yet we hadvproofs o f the little real
eftimation they were in ¡ for with a fmall quantity o f iron or
brafs, I could have purchafed all thé gods (if their images
were fuch) in the place. I did not fee one that was not
offered to me -, and I a itu a lly got two or three o f the very
fmalleft fort. • .
The ch ie f employment o f the men feems to be that o f
fifhing, and k illin g land or fea animals,: for the fuftenance
o f their families ; fo r we faw few o f them doing any
thing in the houfes ; whereas the women were occupied in
manufacturing their flaxen or woollen garments, and in
preparing the fardines for drying ; w hich they alfo carry up
from the beach in twig -baik ets, after the men have brought
them in their canoes. T he women are alfo fent in the
fmall canoes to gather mufcles, and other fhell-fiih ; and
perhaps on fome other occafions ; fo r they manage thefe
w ith as much dexterity as the men ; who, when in the canoes
with them, feem to pay little, attention to their fex, by
offering to relieve them from the labour o f the paddle ; nor,
indeed, do they treat them with any particular reipedt or
tendernefs in other fituations. T h e youn g men appeared to
be the moil indolent or idle fet in this community ; fo r they
Were either fitting about, in fcattered companies, to balk
“ I confidered that a little bribery might probably have fome effeft. Accordingly.I
<6 made an offer o f a button from my qoat, which, being o f metal, I thought they
“ would be plëafed with, „ T h is , inftantly, produced the deli-red effect. For tfye.mat
•‘ ‘ „was "removed, and I was.jeft (at liberty to prqceed as before,; Scarcely had I feated
/ c myfelf, and made a beginning, - when he returned and renewed his former pra&ice,
“ continuing it till Ihad parted with every iingle button ; and when he faw that.be
“ had completely ftripped me, I met with no farther obftru&ion.”
themfelves
themfelves in the fu n ; or la y wallowin g in the fand upon
the beach, lik e a number o f hogs, for the fame purpofe,
without any covering. But this difregard o f decency was
confined to the men. T h e women were always properly
clothed, and behaved with the utmoft p ro p rie ty ; juftly de-
ferviug all commendation, for a bafhfulnefs and modefty
becoming their f e x ; but more meritorious in them, as the
men feem to have no fenfe o f fhame. It is impoflible, however,
that ,we ihould have been able to obferve the cxacl
mode o f their domeftic life and employments,, from a fingle
vifit (as the firft was quite tranfitory) o f a few hours. For it
may be eafily fuppofed, that, on fuch an ocqafion, mod o f
the labour o f all the inhabitants o f the villa ge would ceafe
upon our arrival, and an interruption be given even to the
u fua l manner o f appearing in their houfes, during their
more remifs or fociable hours, when left to themfelves*
We were much better enabled to form fome judgment o f their
difpolition, and, in fome meafure, even o f their method o f
living, from the frequent vifits fo many o f them paid us at
our ihips, in their canoes ; in which, it fhould feem, th e y
fpend a great deal o f time, at lead in the fummer feafon.
For we obferved that they not only eat and fleep frequently
in them, but ftrip o ff their clothes, and lay themfelves along
to balk in the fun, in the fame manner as we had feen
pradtifed at their village. Their canoes o f the larger fort*
are, indeed, fufficiently fpacious fo r that purpofe, and per-
f e c l ly d r y ; fo that, under flielter o f a fkin, they are, except
in rainy weather, much more cpmfortable habitations than-
their houfes.
T h o u gh their food, ftridlly fpeaking, ma y be faid to con-1-
fill o f every thing animal or vegetable that they can procure,
the quantity o f the latter bears an exceedingly fmall propor