^92 AVOYAGETO 



»778- rope, and ffave them to thofe in one of the canoes, who, in 



January. ,1 



return, tied feme fmall mackerel to the rope, as an equi- 

 valent. This was repeated ; and fome fmall nails, or bits 

 of iron, which they valued more than any other article, 

 were given them. For thefe they exchanged more fifli, and 

 a fweet potatoe ; a fure fign that they had fome notion of 

 bartering ; or, at leali, of returning one prefent for another. 

 They had nothing elfe in their canoes, except fome large 

 gourd flrells, and a kind of fifliing-net ; but one of them 

 offered for fale the piece of fluff that he wore round his 

 waifl, after the manner of the other iflands. Thefe people 

 were of a brown colour ; and, though of the common fize, 

 were lloutly made. There was little difference in the 

 cafts of their colour, but a conGderable variation in their 

 features ; fome of their vifages not being very unlike thofe 

 of Europeans. The hair of moft of thein was cropt pretty 

 fliort ; others had it flowing loofe ; and, with a few, it was 

 tied in a bunch on the crown of the head. In all, it fcemed 

 to be naturally black; but mod: of them had (lained it, as 

 is the pracTiicc of the Friendly Iflanders, with fome fluff 

 which gave it a brown or burnt colour. In general, they wore 

 their beards. They had no ornaments about their perfons, 

 nor did we obferve that their ears were perforated; but 

 lome were puni5lured on the hands, or near the groin, 

 though in a fmall degree ; and the bits of cloili, which 

 ihey wore, were curioufly ftained with red, black, and white 

 colours. They fcemed very mild ; and had no arms of any 

 kind, if we except fome fmall floncs, which they had evi- 

 dently brought for their own defence ; and thefe they threw 

 overboard when they found that they were not wanted. 



Seeing no figns of an anchoring-place at this Eaflern ex- 

 treme of the ifland, I bore away to leeward, and ranged 



along 



