346 dress. [1840. 



like texture, and worn about the head in several folds. Thus 

 furnished, the Feejee chief looks much like a half-naked Moor. 

 Wreaths of flowers are frequently wound round the salas, or 

 the feathers of the parroquet attached on the inside by the 

 gum of the bread-fruit tree. Necklaces of shells, or the 

 teeth of the whale, or those of human victims; and armlets 

 made of the trochus-shell ground down into rings ; likewise 

 adorn the persons of the chiefs. Single shells of the valuable 

 kinds are worn by the high chiefs, depending from their necks, 

 and are handed down from father to son. They have a comb, 

 or hair-pricker, made of bone, or stiff splints of reed, which 

 is worn by the king as a coronet in front of his mop of hair ; 

 the chiefs wear their combs a little at one side, so as not to 

 interfere with the prerogative of royalty ; and the kai-sis stick 

 it behind their ears. 



One only garment, and that very diminutive in extent, is 

 worn by the women. This is the liku, an elastic band, bor- 

 dered on the lower side with fringe dyed either red or black, 

 which is neatly braided of the bark of the hibiscus. It is 

 worn about the loins, and for a maiden is only three inches 

 wide, but married women, after they have borne children, 

 lengthen it considerably. Tapa cloth is absolutely forbidden 

 to be worn by the softer sex. They sometimes wear neck- 

 laces of shells, and adorn their persons with wreaths of 

 flowers. Both sexes bore holes in the lobes of their ears, — 

 which are often distended so as to admit the whole hand, — 

 and insert in them gay feathers and beautiful flowers. 



As has been before remarked, their toilets occupy a great 

 share of the time and attention of the natives, considering 

 the small quantity of clothing which they wear. Dressing 

 the hair, combing, frizzling, greasing it with cocoa-nut oil, 

 and daubing it over with ivory-black or some other dyeing 

 material, are all matters of the first importance. Bathing is 

 attended to punctually by all sexes and classes, after which 

 their bodies are anointed with oil and turmeric, to prevent 

 taking cold, and for the sake of beauty. Paint is lavishly 

 used by both sexes on the face ; no color is ever absolutely 



