476 DRESS. 



to say that the fineness was regulated according to the purpose 

 for which it was intended. The two first kinds were easily 

 bleached, and then dyed of various colours, generally red and 

 yellow. Both of these were vegetable colours, and not very 

 fast. 



They had various strange and complicated dresses for great 

 occasions, but their ordinary clothes were very simple, and 

 consisted of two parts. One of them was a piece of cloth 

 with a hole "in the middle to put the head through," and 

 long enough to reach from the shoulder to the knee. The 

 other was wrapped round the waist so as to hang down like 

 a petticoat as low as the knee ; this was called the Parou. 

 Frequently also they wore a piece of cloth tied round the 

 head like a turban. The dress of the Queen is thus described 

 by Ellis :* " She was attired in a light, loose, and flowing dress 

 of beautifully white native cloth, tastefully fastened on the 

 left shoulder, and reaching to the ankle ; her hair was rather 

 lighter than that of the natives in general ; and on her head 

 she wore a light and elegant native bonnet, of green and 

 yellow cocoa-nut leaves ; each ear was perforated, and in the 

 perforation two or three flowers of the fragrant Cape jessamine 

 were inserted." The dress of the men was very similar, but 

 instead of the petticoat, they brought the cloth between the 

 legs ; this was called the Maro. In hot weather,-)- and at 

 noon, both sexes went almost naked, wearing only the cloth 

 round the waist. Besides the turbans and head-dresses of 

 leaves, they sometimes wore long plaits of human hair, which 

 they wound about the head in such a manner as to produce a 

 very pretty effect. They were very clean both in their persons 

 and their clothes ; constantly washing three times a day. 

 Ornaments were worn by the men as much as by the women, 



* 1. c. p. 148. work, with handles of the same or 



t The Sandwich Islanders had of wood, 

 small square fans of mat or wicker- 



