34 VOYAGE TO THE 



introduced this subject. At other times they were 

 very conversible, and some of them were ingenious 

 and clever men ; but they had been so long excluded 

 from the civilized world, that their ideas and their 

 politics, like the maps pinned against the walls, bore 

 date of 1772, as near as I could read it for fly spots. 

 Their geographical knowledge was equally backward, 

 as my host at San Jos6 had never heard of the dis- 

 coveries of Captain Cook ; and because Otaheite was 

 not placed upon his chart, he would scarcely credit its 

 existence. 



The Indians after their conversion are quiet and 

 tractable, but extremely indolent, and given to intoxi- 

 cation, and other vices. Gambling in particular they 

 indulge in to an unlimited extent: they pledge the 

 very clothes on their backs, and not unfrequently 

 have been known to play for each other's wives. 

 They have several games of their own, besides some 

 with cards, which have been taught them by the 

 Spaniards. Those which are most common, and are 

 derived from the wild Indians, are touss6, called by 

 the Spaniards pares y nones, odd or even ; escondido, 

 or hunt the slipper ; and takersia. 



The first, though sometimes played as in England, 

 generally consists in concealing a piece of wood in 

 one hand, and holding out both for the guessing 

 party to declare in which it is contained. The intense 

 interest that is created by its performance has been 

 amusingly described by Perouse. The second, escon- 

 dido, needs no description ; the last, takersia, requires 

 some skill to play well, and consists in rolling a cir- 

 cular piece of wood with a hole in its centre along 

 the ground, and throwing a spear through it as it 

 rolls. If the spear pierces the hole, it counts ten 



