302 cook's voyage to june, 



no person, who has been vanquished, can engage 

 with his conqueror a second time. 



The boxers advance side-ways, changing the side 

 at every pace, with one arm stretched fully out be- 

 fore, the other behind ; and holding a piece of cord 

 in one hand, which they wrap firmly about it, when 

 they find an antagonist, or else have done so before 

 they enter. This, I imagine, they do, to prevent a 

 dislocation of the hand or fingers. Their blows are 

 directed chiefly to the head ; but sometimes to the 

 sides; and are dealt out with great activity. They 

 shift sides, and box equally well with both hands. 

 But one of their favourite and most dexterous blows, 

 is, to turn round on their heel, just as they have 

 struck their antagonist, and to give him another very 

 smart one with the other hand backward. 



The boxing matches seldom last long ; and the 

 parties either leave off together, or one acknowledges 

 his being beat. But they never sing the song of 

 victory in these cases, unless one strikes his adver- 

 sary to the ground ; which shows, that, of the two, 

 wrestling is their most approved diversion. Not 

 only boys engage, in both the exercises, but fre- 

 quently little girls box very obstinately for a short 

 time. In all which cases, it doth not appear, that 

 they ever consider it as the smallest disgrace to be 

 vanquished ; and the person overcome sits down, 

 with as much indifference, as if he had never en- 

 tered the lists. Some of our people ventured to con- 

 tend with them in both exercises, but were always 

 worsted ; except in a few instances, where it appeared, 

 that the fear they were in of offending us, contri- 

 buted more to the victory, than the superiority of 

 the person they engaged. 



The cattle, which we had brought, and which 

 were all on shore, however carefully guarded, I was 

 sensible, run no small risk, when I considered the 

 thievish disposition of many of the natives, and their 

 dexterity in appropriating to themselves by stealth, 



