“ Les enfans, en. venant au monde, sont complètement
noirs j la jeune - fille la pius: jolie, et; la plus. delicate, qui
s expose le moins à l’action de l’air et du- soleil, est noire ;
celles qui sont obligees de-travailler constamment à l’ardeur
du soleil, sont presque de coulèur orangée.” p
The hair of these people is sometimes crisp, or frizzled,
approaching to the woolly appearance ? in other instances
soft and flexible. M. Ghoris says : “ Les grands se distinguent
aisément du peuple; ils sont de :haute taille, et gras;: leur
teint est brun foncé ; ils ont. les cheveux moins longs que les
gens du commun, souvent crépus et courts ; - les lèvres; généralement
assez grosses ; tandis que le peuple est petit' et
maigre, à le teint plus jaune, les cheveux plus lisses.”
S ec t io n V I.-^Natives o f the Groupe o f Nouha-Hwa, h
or the Marquesas.
The cluster of islands termed the Marquesas, or the groupe
of Nouka-IIiva, so named” from one of the largest of Ithe
number, are situated about the ninth degree to the southward
of thé equator. They were discovered by Alvaro de Mendana
in 1595; and were by him named Las Marquesas de Mendoza.
They were visited by Captain Cook in 1774, who, however,
did not land on the island of La Madalena, chiefly known to
Mendana.
The natural productions of these islands are similar to those
of Tahiti and the surrounding groupe. The natives have
hogs, fowls, bread-fruit, and coco-nuts, yams, plantains.
Rats also existed in these islands. The people are a branch
of the Polynesian race nearly allied to the Tahitian, for
Oedidee, a native of Ulietea, could converse with them. It
has been saidy however, that their language is more closely
allied to the Hawaiian than to the Tahitian.*
The manners, traditions, and religion of these people are
similar to those of the other Polynesian tribes. It would be
an useless repetition to describe them.
* D’Urville, oeuv. dit.
They appear to be the fairest or naosh xanthous people of
the Pacific fOcean. By the companions of Mendana they are
described as “ almost white? They had long hair, which
some of them suffered to hanglOosè, and ©them gathered in a
knot at the tóp of the head. Many among them; had red hair.
In this assertion QuiroS and Figüeróapwho have each written
an account of Mendana’s voyage cmnökfeeb “ They had
various figures painted or wrought into their- skins;; of a blue
colour.”;!. “ They were of good stature, and so well shaped,”
says Quiros; “ that in person-they had much the advantage of
the?Spamiards/’ *
I Captain Cook says, “ The inhabitants of these islands collectively
are, without exception, the finest race; of people, in
this sea. For fine shape and regular features they perhaps
surpass all other nations.” “ The men are tattooed from head
to foot. This makes them look; dark; but- the women, who
are but little punctured, youth s, and young children, who are
not at- all,, are as fair as some Europeans. The men are in
general tall, that is, about fives feet tenfeiachespioii lmx^fcet.’’
||T h e ir hair, like Oursyiis of many colours^ ettepti'réd, iof
whieh l saw none? The Spanish writers expressly mentioned
red. hair at the island of La Madalena, which Cook did. not
visit p e rh a p s they may have given that term to auburn or
flaxen hair«’: “ They ©bsèrve different modes; in trimming, the
beard, which is generally long.’’ “ Their clathingiis the same
as at Otaheite, and made of the same materials, but not so
plenty, nor is it so good.” +
Section; VII.—Archipelago o f Paumotu. t
Paumotu, or “ the Cloud of Islands/’ is the name given by
the Tahitians to tlie vast Archipelago, comprehending a great
number of s mailer groupes, which extends through a S large
space in the South Pacific to the eastward of the Society Isles,
in a direction from north-west fob south-east. The; whole
* Bumeyrs Hist, qf Discoveries, volt. itf
Cook, second voyage, vol. » p. 399.