PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 73
tain, wlio, as they arrived on th e beach, successively welcomed us to CHA|>.
th e ir island, with a simplicity and sincerity which left no d o u b t of the
tru th o f th e ir professions.
Dec.
1825.
They almost all wore the cloth of the island: their dress consisted
of a petticoat, and a mantle loosely thrown over the shoulders, and
reaching to the ancles. Their stature W'as rather above the common
height; and their limbs, from being accustomed to work and climb the
hills, had acquired unusual muscularity; but their features and manners
were perfectly feminine. Their complexion, though fairer than
that of the men, was of a dark gipsy hue, but its deep colour was less
conspicuous, by being contrasted with dark glossy hair, which hung
down over their shoulders in long waving tresses, nicely oiled ; in
front it was tastefully turned back from the forehead and temples,
and W'as retained in that position by a chaplet of small red or w'hite
aromatic blossoms, newly gathered from the flow'er-tree (morinda citii-
folia), or from the tobacco plant; their countenances were lively and
good-natured, their eyes dark and animated, and each possessed an enviable
row of teeth. Such was the agreeable impression of their first
appearance, which was heightened by the wish expressed simultaneously
by the w'hole groupe, that w'ewere come to stay several days with them.
As the sun was going dow'n, W'e signified our desire to get to the village
and to pitch the observatory before dark, and this was no sooner made
known, than every instrument and article found a carrier.
YVe took the only pathway w'hich leads from the landing-place to
the village, and soon experienced the difficulties of the ascent, which
the distant appearance of the ground led us to anticipate. To the
natives, however, there appeared to be no obstacles: women as W'ell as
men bore their burthens over the most difficult parts without inconvenience
; w'hile we, obliged at times to have recourse to tufts of shrubs
or grass for assistance, e.xperienced serious delay, being also incommoded
by the heat of the weather, and by swarms of house-flies which
infest the island, and are said to have been imported there by H.M.S.
Briton.
As soon as we had gained the first level, our party rested on some
large stones that lay half buried in long grass on one side of a ravine,
L