PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 105 



tition, curtain, or screens ; they had not yet been 

 considered necessary. So far, indeed, from conceal- 

 ment being thought of, when we were about to get 

 up, the women, anxious to show their attention, as- 

 sembled to wish us a good morning, and to inquire 

 in what way they could best contribute to our com- 

 forts, and to present us with some little gift, which 

 the produce of the island afforded. Many persons 

 would have felt awkward at rising and dressing be- 

 fore so many pretty black-eyed damsels assembled 

 in the centre of a spacious room ; but by a little 

 habit we overcame this embarrassment ; and found 

 the benefit of their services in fetching water as we 

 required it, and substituting clean linen for such as 

 we pulled off. 



It must be remembered, that with these people, 

 as with the other islanders of the South Seas, the 

 custom has generally been to go naked, the maro 

 with the men excepted, and with the women the 

 petticoat, or kilt, with a loose covering over the 

 bust, which, indeed, in Pitcairn's Island, they are 

 always careful to conceal ; consequently, an expo- 

 sure to that extent carried with it no feeling what- 

 ever of indelicacy ; or, I may safely add, that the 

 Pitcairn's Islanders would have been the last persons 

 to incur the charge. 



We assembled at breakfast about noon, the usual 

 eating hour of the natives, though they do not con- 

 fine themselves to that period exactly, but take 

 their meal whenever it is sufficiently cooked ; and 

 afterwards availed ourselves of their proffered ser- 

 vices to show us the island, and under their guidance 

 first inspected the village, and what lay in its imme- 

 diate vicinity. In an adjoining house we found two 



