1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 39 



which this was violated, was sure to be disap- 

 pointed. 



One of our gentlemen having made his addresses 

 to a family of the better sort, received an answer, 

 which, translated into our language, according to the 

 mode and spirit of it, as well as the letter, would 

 have been exactly in these terms : " Any of these 

 young ladies will think themselves honoured by your 

 addresses, but you must first make me a suitable pre- 

 sent, and you must then come and sleep with us on 

 shore, for daylight must by no means be a witness of 

 what passes between you." 



I have already observed, that in personal cleanli- 

 ness they are not quite equal to our friends at Ota- 

 heite ; because, not having the advantage of so warm 

 a climate, they do not so often go into the water ; 

 but the most disgustful thing about them is the oil, 

 with which, like the islanders, they anoint their hair : 

 it is certainly the fat either offish or of birds, melted 

 down, and though the better sort have it fresh, their 

 inferiors use that which is rancid, and consequently 

 are almost as disagreeable to the smell as a Hotten- 

 tot ; neither are their heads free from vermin, though 

 we observed that they were furnished with combs, 

 both of bone and wood : these combs are sometimes 

 worn stuck upright in the hair as an ornament, a 

 fashion which at present prevails among the ladies of 

 England. The men generally wear their beards short, 

 and their hair tied upon the crown of the head in a 

 bunch, in which they stick the feathers of various 

 birds in different manners, according to their fancies ; 

 sometimes one is placed on each side of the temples, 

 pointing forwards, which we thought made a very 

 disagreeable appearance. The women wear their 

 hair sometimes cropped short, and sometimes flowing 

 over their shoulders. 



The bodies of both sexes are marked with the 

 black stains called Amoco, by the same method that 

 is used at Otaheite, and called Tattowing , but the 



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