192 cook's VOYAGE TO JAN. 



of grass, mixed with a red paint or ochre, which they 

 smear in great abundance over their heads. This 

 practice, as some might imagine, has not the effect of 

 changing their hair into the frizzling texture we 

 observed; for, on examining the head of a boy, which 

 appeared never to have been smeared, I found the 

 hair to be of the same kind. Their noses, though 

 not flat, are broad and full. The lower part of the 

 face projects a good deal, as is the case of most In- 

 dians I have seen ; so that a line let fall from the 

 forehead, would cut off a much larger portion than it 

 would in Europeans. Their eyes are of a middling 

 size, with the white less clear than in us; and though 

 not remarkably quick or piercing, such as give a 

 frank cheerful cast to the whole countenance. Their 

 teeth are broad, but not equal, nor well set; and 

 either from nature or from dirt, not of so true a 

 white as is usual among people of a black colour. 

 Their mouths are rather wide; but this appearance 

 seems heightened by wearing their beards long, and 

 clotted with paint, in the same manner as the hair on 

 their heads. In other respects, they are well-propor- 

 tioned; though the belly seems rather projecting. 

 This may be owing to the want of compression there, 

 which few nations do not use, more or less. The 

 posture of which they seem fondest, is to stand with 

 one side forward, or the upper part of the body 

 gently reclined, and one hand grasping (across the 

 back) the opposite arm, which hangs down by the 

 projecting side. 



" What the ancient poets tell us of Fauns and Satyrs 

 living in hollow trees, is here realized. Some 

 wretched constructions of sticks, covered with bark, 

 which do not even deserve the name of huts, were 

 indeed found near the shore in the bay; but these 

 seemed only to have been erected for temporary pur- 

 poses ; and many of their largest trees were converted 

 into more comfortable habitations. These ha'd their 

 trunks hollowed out by fire, to the height of six or 



