214 cook's first voyage 1769* 



Of" the thin cloth they seldom dye more than the 

 edges, but the thick cloth is coloured through the 

 whole surface ; the liquor is indeed used rather as a 

 pigment than a dye, for a coat of it is laid upon one 

 side only, with the fibres of the Moo; and though 

 I have seen of the thin cloth that has appeared to 

 have been soaked in the liquor, the colour has not 

 had the same richness and lustre, as when it has been 

 applied in the other manner. 



Though the leaf of the Etou is generally used in 

 this process, and probably produces the finest colour, 

 yet the juice of the figs will produce a red by a mix- 

 ture with the species of Tournefortia, which they 

 call Taheinoo, the Pohuc, the Eurhe, or Convolvulus 

 Brasiliensis, and a species of Solanum called Ebooa ; 

 from the use of these different plants, or from diffe- 

 rent proportions of the materials, many varieties are 

 observable in the colours of their cloth, some of 

 which are conspicuously superior to others. 



The beauty, however, of the best is not perma- 

 nent ; but it is probable that some method might be 

 found to fix it, if proper experiments were made, 

 and perhaps to search for latent qualities, which may 

 be brought out by the mixture of one vegetable juice 

 with another, would not be an unprofitable employ- 

 ment : our present most valuable dyes afford sufficient 

 encouragement to the attempt ; for by the mere in- 

 spection of indigo, woad, dyer's weed, and most of 

 the leaves which are used for the like purposes, the 

 colours which they yield could never be discovered. 

 Of this Indian red 1 shall only add, that the women 

 who have been employed in preparing or using it, 

 carefully preserve the colour upon their fingers and 

 nails, where it appears in its utmost beauty, as a great 

 ornament. 



The yellow is made of the bark of the root of the 

 Morinda citrifbUa, called Nono, by scraping and in- 

 fusing it in water ; after standing some time, the 

 water is strained and used as a dye, the cloth being 



