1839.] dress. 203 



pubes. A dress, called the titi, made of the same materials, 

 is also worn in the heathen villages, particularly by the fe- 

 males : it is merely an apron or girdle extending round the 

 body, and reaching from the loins half way down the thighs 

 or to the knees. The titi is much cooler than the maro, but 

 like the latter requires frequent changing, as the leaves soon 

 wilt and decay. Tapa mantles are worn by the chiefs and 

 their attendants, whenever they appear in public. Beautiful 

 shaggy mats made of the fibres of the hibiscus, fastened at 

 the neck and hanging down to the feet, are worn by the 

 wives and daughters of chiefs. 



Latterly, the missionaries have introduced the siapo from 

 the Friendly Islands. This garment resembles the Tahitian 

 pareu, and is either made of cotton cloth, or of ti or pandanus 

 leaves. They have also brought the tipida, — the ancient 

 dress of the women in the Society Islands, and like the South 

 American poncho in shape and form, — into partial use, among 

 the Samoan women. 



Articles of European costume are occasionally seen. Some 

 of the chiefs are the owners of white striped cotton shirts, 

 white vests, sailors' blue cloth round jackets and pantaloons, 

 fur hats and coarse brogans, in which they appear on extraor- 

 dinary occasions; and their wives and daughters are equally 

 fortunate in the possession of calico or gingham frocks, waist 

 ribbons, flaring straw bonnets, and morocco shoes. 



Of ornaments but few are worn. After taking her daily 

 bath, and anointing her person, the Samoan girl sometimes 

 arranges her hair in ringlets, entwined with flowers ; but 

 this practice is fast going out of date, as it is now the custom 

 to crop the hair close in the christian towns, and it is often 

 filled with fine coral sand, lime, or ashes, to destroy the ver- 

 min. The missionaries, too, have interdicted the use of 

 flowers. The native men wear a shell suspended from the 

 neck by a string, as an amulet. Tattooing is regarded as 

 the emblem of manhood ; it is performed, at from fourteen to 

 eighteen years of age, and is very expensive. The males 

 have their whole bodies, from their breasts to their knees, 



