Aheto, feven.
Ahanou, eight.
Heeva, nine. .
Hoome, ten.
In writing thefe words, I have fpelt them as near the pronunciation
as I poffibly could; and yet it is probable many of them
might ftrike the ear of another perfon very differently. The fame
may be faid in regard to the names of their Chiefs. I fhall juft
obferve, that where the accent falls on the letter a, it is generally
pronounced broad.
Thefe people in general are about the middle fize, rather {lender,
their limbs ftraight and well proportioned. Some of the
Arees are inclined to corpulency, particularly the Aree women,
and their fkin is fmoother and fofter than thofe of the common
rank, but this is owing to want of exercife, and an unlimited indulgence
in the article of food. They are in general of a nut colour,
though fome of the women are fairer, and their hands and
fingers are remarkably fmall and delicate.
Both fexes go naked, except about the waift. The men wear a
narrow piece of cloth, called a maro-w, barely fufficient to cover
the adjacent parts : the ahou, or women’s drefs, is much larger,
and generally reaches from the waift to the middle of the thigh.
The beards of the men are differed to grow 3 their hair is cut
clofe on each fide the head, but grows long from the forehead to
the back of the neck, fomewhat refembling a helmet. The women
cut theirs quite clofe behind, and on the top of the head 5
' * the
1787. Earna, two.
S^tember. T o rQ ;
Hah, four.
Areema, fiv e.
Ahono, fix .
the front is turned up like the toupee of an Englifh beau, and is y f y ,
frequently daubed with cocoa-nut oil, and lime made from fhells, 3 ^ —
which often gives it a fandy difagreeable colour. Sometimes, by
way of ornament, they wear a wreath of flowers fancifully dif-
pofed about the head 5 inftead of a bracelet, a fhell is tied round
the wrift, and a fondnefs for this ornament has rendered buttons
fo much efteemed by thefe gay damfels in general ■, the neck, too,
is adorned with various forts of fhells, -fattened on firings, after
the manner of a necklace. But the molt beautiful ornament
wore by. the women is a necklace or araia, made from the varie.-
gated feathers of the humming-bird, which are fixed on firings
fo regular and even, as to have a furface equally fmooth as velvet;
and the rich colours of the feathers gives it an appearance equally
rich and elegant.
The caps and cloaks wore by the men are ftill fuperior in-
beauty and elegance. The cloaks are in general about the fize
of thofe wore by the Spaniards ; the ground is net-work, and the
feathers are fewed on in alternate fquares, or triangular forms of
red and yellow, which have- a moft brilliant appearance. The
ground of the caps is. wicker-work, in the form of a helmet; the
elevated part from the forehead to the hind part of the neck, is
about a hand's breadth, and generally covered with yellow feathers,
the fides of the cap with red. This cap, together with the
cloak, has an appearance equally fplendid, if not fuperior to any -
fcarlet and gold whatever..
Thefe truly elegant ornaments are fcarce, and, only poffeffed by-
Chiefs of the higheft rank, who wear them on. extraordinary oc-
caftons. There are cloaks, of an inferior kind, which have only
a narrow.