IJ4 VOYAGE TO THE 



was of very great advantage to the females of Woahoo, 

 who seemed anxious to imitate their manners, and 

 w^ere so desirous of becoming acquainted with the 

 method of arranging their different articles of dress, 

 that it required an unusual share of good nature to 

 avoid taking offence at the rude manner in which they 

 gratified their curiosity. The females of Woahoo are 

 shrewd observers of these matters, and on great occa- 

 sions endeavour to imitate foreigners as nearly as they 

 can ; but the powerful influence of fashion has not 

 been yet able entirely to get the better of that other 

 powerful principle, early habit, and the women of the 

 Sandwich Islands in retirement still adhere to their 

 old customs, affording as curious an instance as was 

 ever beheld of barbarism walking hand in hand with 

 civilization. 



The lower class of the inhabitants of Woahoo have 

 varied their dress very little from its original style ; 

 though in Honoruru some females may be seen clothed 

 in the cotton of Europe, and even in the silks of 

 China, with green and red shoes, and sometimes with 

 parasols. They obtain these articles as presents from 

 the crews of such ships as touch at the port. In 

 every uncivilized country which has as much foreign 

 intercourse as Woahoo, incongruities must be of fre- 

 quent occurrence ; thus we were daily in the habit of 

 seeing ladies disencumber themselves of their silks, 

 shppers, and parasols, and swim off in fine style to 

 different vessels, carrying their bundles on their heads, 

 and resuming their finery when they got on board. 

 Nor was it less amusing to observe them jump over- 

 board soon after daylight, and continue sporting and 

 swimming about the vessels in the harbour like so 

 many nereids ; practices to which they adhere with as 



