177^. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 281 



or, we may say, powdered with small white feathers. 

 The face, at the same time, is variously painted, hav- 

 ing its upper and lower parts of different colours, the 

 strokes appearing like fresh gashes ; or it is besmeared 

 with a kind of tallow, mixed with paint, which is 

 afterward formed into a great variety of regular 

 figures, and appears like carved work. Sometimes, 

 again, the hair is separated into small parcels, which 

 are tied at intervals of about two inches, to the 

 end, with thread ; and others tie it together, behind, 

 after our manner, and stick branches of the cupressus 

 thyoides in it. Thus dressed, they have a truly savage 

 and incongruous appearance ; but this is much 

 heightened, when they assume what may be called 

 their monstrous decorations. These consist of an 

 endless variety of carved wooden masks or vizors, ap- 

 plied on the face, or to the upper part of the head or 

 forehead. Some of these resemble human faces, fur- 

 nished with hair, beards, and eye-brows j others, the 

 heads of birds, particularly of eagles and quebrantahu- 

 essos ; and many, the heads of land and sea animals, 

 such as wolves, deer, and porpoises, and others. But, 

 in general, these representations much exceed the na- 

 tural size ; and they are painted, and often strewed 

 with pieces of the foliaceous mica, which makes them 

 glitter, and serves to augment their enormous defor- 

 mity. They even exceed this sometimes, and fix on 

 the same part of the head large pieces of carved work, 

 resembling the prow of a canoe, painted in the same 

 manner, and projecting to a considerable distance. 

 So fond are they of these disguises, that I have seen 

 one of them put his head into a tin kettle he had got 

 from us, for want of another sort of mask. Whether 

 they use these extravagant masquerade ornaments on 

 any particular religious occasion, or diversion, or 

 whether they be put on to intimidate their enemies 

 when they go to battle, by their monstrous appear- 

 ance ; or as decoys when they go to hunt animals, is 

 uncertain. But it may be concluded, that, if travellers 

 or voyagers, in an ignorant and credulous age, when 



