440 cook's voyage to july, 



this custom, as also from inflicting on themselves 

 any of those bloody marks of mourning, which shall 

 be mentioned in another place. 



The men are all circumcised, or rather supercised ; 

 as the operation consists in cutting off only a small 

 piece of the foreskin at the upper part ; which by 

 that means, is rendered incapable, ever after, of 

 covering the glans. This is all they aim at; as 

 they say the operation is practised from a notion of 

 cleanliness. 



The dress of both men and women is the same; 

 and consists of a piece of cloth or matting (but 

 mostly the former), about two yards wide, and two 

 and a half long; at least so long as to go once and 

 a half round the waist, to which it is confined by a 

 girdle or cord. It is double before, and hangs 

 down like a petticoat, as low as the middle of the 

 leg. The upper part of the garment above the 

 girdle, is plaited into several folds ; so that when 

 unfolded, there is cloth sufficient to draw up and 

 wrap round the shoulders, which is very seldom 

 done. This, as to form, is the general dress ; but 

 large pieces of cloth and tine matting, are worn 

 only by the superior people. The inferior sort are 

 satisfied with small pieces ; and very often wear 

 nothing but a covering made of leaves of plants, 

 or the maro, which is a narrow piece of cloth or 

 matting, like a sash. This they pass between the 

 thighs and wrap round the waist ; but the use of it 

 is chiefly confined to the men. In their great haivas, 

 or entertainments, they have various dresses made 

 for the purpose ; but the form is always the same ; 

 and the richest dresses are covered, more or less, 

 with red feathers. On what particular occasion 

 their chiefs wear their large red feather-caps, I 

 could not learn. Both men and women sometimes 

 shade their faces from the sun with little bonnets, 

 made of various materials. 



18 



