T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 235 



at Chriftmaslfland. It has its colour, doubtlefs, from a mix- ^V^s- 



Februar/, 



jture of the mud, at the bottom of the part where it is ' » — '—' 



formed ; for fome of ir, that had adhered in lumps, was of 

 a fufficicnt whitenefs and purity. 



They bake their vegetable food with heated ftones, as at 

 the Southern Iflands ; and, from the vafl quantity which we 

 faw drefled at one time, we fufpec^ed, that the whole vil- 

 lage, or, at lead, a confiderable number of people, joined 

 in the ufe of a common oven. We did not fee them drefs 

 any anirnal food at this ifland ; but Mr. Gore's party, as 

 already mentioned, had an opportunity of fatisfying them- 

 fclves, that it was drefled in Oneehcow in the fame fort of 

 ovens; which leaves no doubt of this being alfo the pracflice in 

 Atooi ; efpecially as we met with no utenfil there, that could 

 be applied to the purpofe of ftewing or boiling. The only 

 artificial difli we met with, was a taro pudding; which, 

 though a difagreeablc mefs from its fournefs, was greedily 

 devoured by the natives. They eat olF a kind of wooden 

 plates, or trenchers ; and the women, as far as we could 

 judge from one inftance, if reftrained from feeding at the 

 fame dilli with the men, as at Otahcite, are, at leafl, per- 

 mitted to eat in the fame place near them. 



Their amufements feem pretty various ; for, during our 

 fliort flay, feveral were difcovered. Tlie dances, at which 

 they ufe the feathered cloaks and caps, were not fcen ; but 

 from the n^otions which they made with their liands, on 

 other occafions, when they fung, we could form fome judg- 

 ment that they are, in fome degree at lead, fimilar to thofe 

 we had met with at the Southern Iflands, though not exe- 

 cuted fo flcilfuUy. Neither had they, amongft them, cither 

 flutes or reeds ; and the only tv»^Q muflcal inflruments 



H h 2 vvhich 



