THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 233 



of ornament, than we had ufually feen at other places, and , '77?- 



* February. 



ingeniouily executed in a great variety of lines and figures, < -v— * 



on the arms and fore-part of the body; on which latter, fome 

 of them had the figure of the taame^ or breafl- plate, of Ota- 

 heite, though we did not meet with the thing itfelf amongft 

 them. Contrary to the cuftom of the Society and Friendly 

 Iflands, they do not flit, or cut off, part of the prepuce ^ but 

 have it, univerfally, drawn over the ghins, and tied with 

 a firing, as pracftifcd by fome of the natives of New- 

 Zealand. 



Though they fcem to have adopted the mode of living in 

 villages, there is no appearance of defence, or fortification, 

 near any of them ; and the houfes are fcattered about, with- 

 out any order, either with refpect to their diflances from 

 each other, or their pofition in any particular direcftion. 

 Neither is there any proportion as to their fize ; fome being 

 large and commodious, from forty to fifty feet long, and 

 twenty or thirty broad, while others of them are mere ho- 

 vels. Their figure is not unlike oblong corn, or hay-flacks j 

 or, perhaps, a better idea may be conceived of them, if we 

 fuppofe the roof of a barn placed on the ground, in fuch a 

 manner, as to form a higli, acute ridge, with two very low 

 fides, hardly difcernible at a diflance. The gable, at each 

 end, correfponding to the fides, makes thefe habitations per- 

 fecftly clofe all round ; and they are well thatched with 

 long grafs, which is laid on flcndcr poles, difpofcd with 

 fome regularity. The entrance is made indifTerently in the 

 end or fide, and is an oblong hole, fb low, that one miift 

 rather creep than walk in ; and is often fhut up by a board 

 of planks, faflened together, which ferves as a door, but 

 having no hinges, muft be removed occafionally. Ko light 

 enters the houfe, but by this opening ; and though fuch 



Vol. IL H h clofe 



