THEPACIFICOCEAN. jj 



up over the heads of the girls, while the remainder was ^m- 



,,.,,. . ,, September. 



wrapped round their bodies, under the arm-pits. Then the -,-._^ 

 upper ends were let fall, and hung down in folds to the 

 ground, over the other, fo as to bear fome refemblance to 

 a circular hoop-petticoat. Afterward, round the outfide of 

 all, were wrapped feveral pieces of differently coloured 

 cloth, which confiderably increafed the fize ; fo that it was 

 not .lefs than five or fix yards in circuit, and the weight of 

 this fingular attire was as much as the poor girls could fup- 

 port. To each were hung two taames, or breaft-plates, by 

 way of enriching the whole, and giving it a piifturcfque 

 appearance. Thus equipped, they were conduced on board 

 the fliip, together with feveral hogs, and a quantity of 

 fruit, which, with the cloth, was a prefent to me from 

 Otoo's father. Pcrfons, of cither fex, dreflfed in this man- 

 ner, are called atee ; but, I believe, it is never praiftifed, ex- 

 cept when large prefents of cloth arc to be made. At leaft, 

 I never faw it praiftifed upon any other occafion ; nor, indeed, 

 had I ever fuch a prefent before; but both Captain Gierke and 

 J had cloth given to us afterward, thus wrapped round the 

 bearers. The next day, I had a prefent of five hogs, and Tuefday 9. 

 fome fruit, from Otoo ; and one hog, and fome fruit, from 

 each of his fitters. Nor were other provifions wanting. For 

 two or three days, great quantities of mackerel had been 

 caught by the natives, within the reef, in feines ; fome of 

 which they brought to the fliips and tents, and fold. 



Otoo was not more attentive to fupply our wants, by a 

 fucceflion of prefents, than he was to contribute to our 

 amufcment, by a fucceflion of diverfions. A party of us 

 having gone down to Oparre, on the loth, he treated us Wednef. 10. 

 with what may be called a play. His three filters were the 

 a^treffes ; and the dreflfes, that they appeared in, were new 



H 2 and 



