fuch a particular mark was in memory o f fuch a C h ie f; and
fo o f the reft. It may be here, too, obferved, that the low-
eft clafs are often t alt owed with a mark, that diftinguifhes
them as the property o f the feveral Chiefs to whom they
belong.
The drefs o f the men generally confifts only o f a piece o f
thick cloth called the tnaro, about ten or twelve inches broad,
which they pafs between the legs, and tie round the Waift.
This is the common drefs o f all ranks o f people. Their
mats, fome o f which are beautifully manufadtured, are o f
various fizes, but moftly about five feet long, and four
broad. Thefe they throw over their - fhoulders, and brinOa
forward before ; but they arefeldom ufed, except in time o f
war, for which purpofe they feem better adapted than for
ordinary ufe, being o f a thick and cumberfome texture, and
capable o f breaking the blow o f a ftone, or any blunt weapon.
Their feet are generally bare, except when they have
occafion to travel over the hurnt ftones, when they fecure
them with a-fort o f fandal, made o f cords, twilled from the
fibres o f the cocoa-nut. Such is the ordinary drefs o f thefe
iflanders; but they have another, appropriated to their
Chiefs, and ufed on ceremonious occafions, confifting o f a
feathered cloak and helmet, which, in point o f beauty and
magnificence, is perhaps nearly equal to that o f any nation
in the world. As this drefs has been already defcribed with
great accuracy and minutenefs, I have only to -add, that
thefe cloaks are made o f different lengths, in proportion to
the rank o f the wearer, fome o f them reaching no lower
than the middle, others trailing on the ground. The inferior
Chiefs have alfo a ihort cloak, refembling the former,
made o f the long tail-feathers of the cock, the tropic and
man o f war birds, with a broad border of the fmall red and
yellow
yellow feathers, and a collar o f the fame. Others again >779.
are made o f feathers entirely white, w ith variegated bor- ■ M^ch‘ .
ders. The helmet has a ftrong lining o f wicker-work, capable
o f breaking the blow o f any warlike inftrument, and
feems evidently defigned for that purpofe.
Thefe feathered dreffes feemed to be exceedingly fcarce,
appropriated to perfons o f the higheft rank, and worn
by the men only. During the whole time we lay in Karaka-
kooa Bay, we never faw them ufed but on three occafions: '
in the curious ceremony o f Terreeoboo’s firft vifit to the
ihips j by fome Chiefs, who were feen among the crowd on
fhore, when Captain Cook was killed ; and, afterward, when
Eappo brought his bones to us.
The exadt refemblance between this habit, and the cloak
and helmet formerly worn by the Spaniard«, was too ftrik-
ing not to excite our curiofity to inquire, whether there
were any probable grounds for fuppofing it to have been
borrowed from them. After exerting every means in
our power, o f obtaining information on this fubjedt, we
found that they had no immediate knowledge o f any other
nation whatever; nor any tradition remaining among them
o f thefe iilands having been ever vifited before by fuch ihips
as ours. But notwithftanding the refult o f thefe inquiries,
the uncommon form o f this habit appears to me a fufficient
proof o f its European or igin ; efpecially when added to another
circumftance, that it is a Angular deviation from the
general refemblance in drefs, which prevails amongft all the
branches o f this tribe, difper-fed through the South Sea.
We were driven indeed, by this conclufion, to a fuppofition
o f the ihipwreck o f fome Buccaneer, or Spaniih Ihip, in
the neighbourhood o f thefe iilands. But when it is recol-
Vox. I ll, T ledted,