lend their affiftance in thofe domeftic offices, with a willing-
nefs that does credit to their feelings.
.It mud, however, be obferved, that they fall very fhort o f
the other iflanders, in that belt tell o f civilization, the refpedli
paid to the women. Here they are not only deprived o f the
privilege o f eating with the men, but the belt forts o f food
are tabooed, or forbidden them. They are not allowed to eat
pork, turtle, feveral kinds o f fiih, and fome fpecies o f the
plantains ; and we were told that a poor girl got a terrible
beating, for having eaten, on board our Ihip, one o f thefe
interdicted articles. In their domeftic life, they appear to
live almoft entirely by themfelves, and though we did not
obferve any inftances- o f perfonal ill-treatment, yet it was
evident they had little regard or attention paid them.
The great hofpitality and kindnefs, with which w e were received
by them, have been already frequently remarked ;
and indeed they make the principal part o f our tranfaclions
with them. Whenever we came on ihore, there was a con-
ftant ftruggle who fhould be moft forward in making us little
prefents, bringing refrefhments, or ihewing fome other
mark o f their refpeft. The old people never failed o f receiving
us with tears of joy ; feemed highly gratified with
being allowed to touch us, and were conftantly making companions
between themfelves and us, with the ftrongeft
marks o f humility. The young women were not lefs kind
and engaging, and, till they found, notwithftanding our ut-
moft endeavours to prevent it, that they had reafon to repent
o f our acquaintance, attached themfelves to us without
the leali referve.
In juftice, however, to the fex/ it muft be obfervedj that
thefe ladies were probably all o f the lower clafs o f the
people ;
people; for i anfi ftrongly inclined to believe, that, excepting
the few, whofe names are mentioned in the courfe o f our
narrative, we did not fee any woman o f rank during our ftay
amongft them.
Their natural capacity feems, in no refpecl, below the
•common ftandard o f mankind. Their improvements in
agriculture, and the perfection o f their manufactures, are
certainly adequate to the circumftances o f their fituation, and
the natural advantages they enjoy. The eager curiofity, with
which they attended the armourer’s forge, and the many
•expedients they had invented, even before we left the iflands,
fo r working the iron they had procured from us, into fuch
forms as were belt adapted to their purpofes, were ftrong
proofs o f docility and ingenuity.
Our unfortunate friend, Kaneena, pofFefled a degree o f ju dicious
curiofity, and a quicknefs o f conception, which was
rarely met with amongft thefe people. He was very inquifi-
tive after our cuftoms and manners; aiked after our King;
the nature o f our government; our numbers; the method
o f building our fh ip s ; our houfes ; the produce o f our country
; whether we had w a r s ; with whom ; and on what oc-
cafions; and in what manner they were carried o n ; who
was our God; and many other queflions o f the fame nature,
which indicated an underftanding o f great compre-
henfion.
We met with two inftances o f perfons difordered in their
minds, the one a man at Qwhyhee, the other a woman at
Oneeheow. It appeared, from the particular attention and
refpedl paid to them, that the opinion o f their being infpired
b y the Divinity, which obtains among moft o f the nations o f
the Eaft, is alfo received here.
S 2 Though