THEPACIFICOCEAN. 22() 



and I may fay, that, with a very few exceptions, they have „ '778- 

 little claini to thofe peculiarities that dillinguifh the fex, in 

 other countries. There is, indeed, a more remarkable equa- 

 lity in the fize, colour, and figure of both fexes, than in 

 mod places I have vifited. However, upon the whole, they 

 are far from being ugly, and appear to have few natural de- 

 formities of any kind. Their ficin is not very foft, nor 

 fliining; perhaps for want of oiling, which is praftifed at 

 the Southern illands ; but their eyes and teeth are, in gene- 

 ral, very tolerable. The hair, for the gieateft part, is 

 ftraight, though, in fome, frizzling; and though its na^ 

 tural colour be, commonly, black, it is flained, as at the 

 Friendly and other iflands. Wc faw but few inflances of 

 corpulence ; and thefe oftener amongft the women than the 

 men ; but it was chiefly amongfl; the Luter that pcrfonal 

 dcfeds were obferved, though, if any of them can claim 

 a fliarc of beauty, it was moll: confpicuous amongfl the 

 young men. 



They are vigorous, a(5live, and mod expert fwimmersj 

 leaving their canoes upon the moft trifling occafion ; diving 

 under them ; and fwimming to others though at a great 

 diftance. It was very common to fee women, with infants 

 at the bread, when the furf was fo high, that they could 

 not land in the canoes, leap overboard, and without endan- 

 gering their little ones, fwim to the fliore, through a fea 

 that looked dreadful. 



They fecm to be bled with a frank, cheerful difpofition ; 

 and were I to draw any comparifons, fliould fay, that tliey 

 are equally free from the fickle levity which didinguiflies 

 the natives of Otaheiic, and the fedare cad obfervable 

 amongd many of thofe of Tongataboo. They feem to live 

 very fociably in their intcrcourfe v;ith one another; and, 



except 



