1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 261 



and their noses are arched ; they are thought to have 

 a general resemblance to a goat, and for that reason 

 are frequently called cabritos: their flesh we thought 

 the worst mutton we had ever eaten, being as lean as 

 that of the buffalo's, and without flavour. The hogs, 

 however, were some of the fattest we had ever seen, 

 though, as we were told, their principal food is the 

 outside husks of rice, and the palm syrup dissolved 

 in water. The fowls are chiefly of the game breed, 

 and large, but the eggs are remarkably small. 



Of the fish which the sea produces here, we know 

 but little : turtles are sometimes found upon the coast, 

 and are by these people, as well as all others, con- 

 sidered as a dainty. 



The people are rather under, than over the mid- 

 dling size ; the women especially are remarkably 

 short and squat-built : their complexion is a dark 

 brown, and their hair universally black and lank. 

 We saw no difference in the colour of rich and poor, 

 though in the South Sea islands, those that were ex- 

 posed to the weather were almost as brown as the 

 New Hollanders, and the better sort nearly as fair as 

 the natives of Europe. The men are in general well- 

 made, vigorous, and active, and have a greater variety 

 in the make and disposition of their features than 

 usual : the countenances of the women, on the con- 

 trary, are all alike. 



The men fasten their hair up to the top of their 

 heads with a comb, the women tie it behind in a club, 

 which is very far from becoming, Both sexes eradi- 

 cate the hair from under the arm, and the men do 

 the same by their beards, for which purpose, the 

 better sort always carry a pair of silver pincers hang- 

 ing by a string round their necks; some however 

 suffer a very little hair to remain upon their upper 

 lips, but this is always kept short. 



The dress of both sexes consists of cotton cloth, 

 which being died blue in the yarn, and not uniformly 

 of the same shade, is in clouds or waves of that co- 



s 3 



