110 cook's second voyage SEPT. 



which are a little pointed, will spread out or open like 

 the sticks of a fan, by which means they can beat up 

 the quarters of an hundred lice at a time. These 

 combs or scratchers, for I believe they serve both 

 purposes, they always wear in their hair, on one side 

 their head. The people of Tanna have an instru- 

 ment of this kind, for the same use ; but theirs is 

 forked, I think never exceeding three or four prongs ; 

 and sometimes only a small pointed stick. Their 

 beards, which are of the same crisp nature as their 

 hair, are, for the most part, worn short, Swelled 

 and ulcerated legs and feet are common among the 

 men ; as also a swelling of the scrotum. I know 

 not whether this is occasioned by disease, or by the 

 mode of applying the wrapper before mentioned, 

 and which they use as at Tanna and Mallicollo. This 

 is their only covering, and is made generally of the 

 bark of a tree, but sometimes of leaves. The small 

 pieces of cloth, paper, &c. which they got from us, 

 were commonly applied to this use. We saw coarse 

 garments amongst them, made of a sort of matting, 

 but they seemed never to wear them, except when 

 out in their canoes and unemployed. Some had a 

 kind of concave, cylindrical, stiff black cap, which 

 appeared to be a great ornament among them, and, 

 we thought, was only worn by men of note, or war- 

 riors. A large sheet of strong paper, when they got 

 one from us, was generally applied to this use. 



The women's dress is a short petticoat, made of 

 the filaments of the plantain tree, laid over a cord, 

 to which they are fastened, and tied round the 

 waist. The petticoat is made at least six or eight 

 inches thick, but not one inch longer than necessary 

 for the use designed. The outer filaments are dyed 

 black ; and, as an additional ornament, the most of 

 them have a few pearl oyster-shells fixed on the right 

 side. The general ornaments of both sexes, are ear- 

 rings of tortoise-shell, necklaces or amulets, made 

 both of shells and stones, and bracelets, made of 



