SH A V O Y A G E T O 



^PJ' tions in a barbarous flate. One would> indeed, be apt to 



July. ' * 



^— V ' fancy, that they had been bred up under the feverefl reftric- 



tions, to acquire an afpedl fo fettled, and fuch a command 

 of their paffions, as well as fteadinefs in conduct. But they 

 are, at the fame time, frank, cheerful, and good-humoured; 

 though, fometimes, in the prefence of their Chiefs, they 

 put on a degree of gravity, and iuch a ferious air as becomes 

 ftiffand awkward, and has an appearance of referve. 



Their peaceable difpofition is fufficiently evinced, from the 

 friendly reception all ftrangers have met with, who have 

 viiited them. Inftead of offering to attack them openly, or 

 clandeftinely, as has been the cafe with moft of the inhabit- 

 ants of thefe feas, they have never appeared, in the fmalleft 

 degree, hoflile ; but, on the contrary, like the moil civil- 

 ized people, have courted an intercourfe with their vifiters, by 

 bartering, which is the only medium that unites all nations 

 - in a fort of friendfliip. They underfland barter (which they 

 call fukkatouj fo perfecftly, that, at firft, we imagined they 

 might have acquired this knowledge of it by commercial 

 intercourfe with the neighbouring iflands ; but we were 

 afterward affured, that they had little or no traffic, except 

 with Feejee, from which they get the red feathers, and the 

 few other articles, mentioned before. Perhaps, no nation 

 in the world traffic v;irh more honefly and lefs ditlruft. We 

 could always fafely permit them to examine our goods, and 

 to hand them about, one to another ; and they put the fame 

 confidence in us. If either party repented of the bargain, 

 the goods were re-exchangcd with mutual confent and 

 good-humour. Upon the whole, they feem pofTefTed of 

 many of the mofl excellent qualities that adorn the human 

 mind j fuch as induftry, ingenuity, perfeverance, affability^ 



and, 



