292 cook's voyage to april, 



that of fishing and killing land or sea animals for the 

 sustenance of their families, for we saw few of them 

 doing any thing in the houses ; whereas the women 

 were occupied in manufacturing their flaxen or 

 woollen garments, and in preparing the sardines for 

 drying, which they also carry up from the beach in 

 twig baskets, after the men have brought them in 

 their canoes. The women are also sent in the small 

 canoes to gather muscles and other shell-fish, and 

 perhaps on some other occasions, for they manage 

 these with as much dexterity as the men, who, when 

 in the canoes with them, seem to pay little attention 

 to their sex, by offering to relieve them from the 

 labour of the paddle ; nor, indeed, do they treat 

 them with any particular respect or tenderness in 

 other situations. The young men appeared to be the 

 most indolent or idle set in this community, for they 

 were either sitting about in scattered companies, to 

 bask themselves in the sun, or lay wallowing in the 

 sand upon the beach like a number of hogs, for the 

 same purpose, without any covering. But this disre- 

 gard of decency was confined to the men. The 

 women were always properly clothed, and behaved 

 with the utmost propriety, justly deserving all com- 

 mendation for a bashfulness and modesty becoming 

 their sex, but more meritorious in them, as the 

 men seem to have no sense of shame. It is impos- 

 sible, however, that we should have been able to 

 observe the exact mode of their domestic life and em- 

 ployments, from a single visit (as the first was quite 

 transitory) of a few hours. For it may be easily sup- 

 posed that on such an occasion, most of the labour of 

 all the inhabitants of the village would cease upon our 

 arrival, and an interruption be given even to the usual 

 manner of appearing in their houses, during their 

 more remiss or sociable hours when left to themselves. 

 We were much better enabled to form some judgment 

 of their disposition, and, in some measure, even of 

 their method of living, from the frequent visits so 



