436 cook's voyage to july, 



respects, they may be considered as uncommonly 

 healthy ; not a single person having been seen, 

 during our stay, confined to the house by sickness of 

 any kind. On the contrary, their strength and ac- 

 tivity are every way answerable to their muscular 

 appearance ; and they exert both, in their usual 

 employment, and in their diversions, in such a man- 

 ner, that there can be no doubt of* their being as yet 

 little debilitated by the numerous diseases that are 

 the consequence of indolence, and an unnatural 

 method of life. 



The graceful air and firm step with which these 

 people walk, are not the least obvious proof of their 

 personal accomplishments. They consider this as a 

 thing so natural or so necessary to be acquired, that 

 nothing used to excite their laughter sooner than to 

 see us frequently stumbling upon the roots of trees, 

 or other inequalities of the ground. 



Their countenances very remarkably express the 

 abundant mildness or good nature which they 

 possess ; and are entirely free from that savage 

 keenness which marks nations in a barbarous state. 

 One would indeed be apt to fancy, that they had 

 been bred up under the severest restrictions, to ac- 

 quire an aspect so settled, and such a command of 

 their passions as well as steadiness in conduct. But 

 they are at the same time, frank, cheerful, and good- 

 humoured ; though sometimes, in the presence of 

 their chiefs, they put on a degree of gravity, and such 

 a serious air as becomes stiff and awkward, and has 

 an appearance of reserve. 



Their peaceable disposition is sufficiently evinced, 

 from the friendly reception all strangers have met 

 with who have visited them. Instead of offering to 

 attack them openly or clandestinely, as has been the 

 case with most of the inhabitants of these seas, they 

 have never appeared in the smallest degree hostile ; 

 but, on the contrary, like the most civilized people, 

 have courted an intercourse with their visitors bv 



