THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 391 



care. Having already defcribed the proccfs, I fhall only '777« 



add, that they have this cloth of different degrees of fine- „-— .» 



nefs. The coarfer fort, of which they make very large 

 pieces, does not receive the impreflion of any pattern. Of 

 the finer fort, they have feme that is ftriped, and chequered, 

 and of other patterns differently coloured. But how thefe 

 colours are laid on, I cannot fay, as I never faw any of this 

 fort made. The cloth, in general, will refift water, for fome 

 time ; but that which has the flrongeft glaze will refill 

 longefl:. 



The manufacflure next in confequence, and alfo within 

 the department of the women, is that of their mats, which 

 excel every thing I have feen at any other place, both as 

 to their texture and their beauty. In particular, many of 

 them are fo fuperior to thofe made at Otaheite, that they 

 are not a bad article to carry thither, by way of trade. Of 

 thefe mats, they have feven or eight different forts, for the 

 purpofes of wearing or fleeping upon ; and many are merely 

 ornamental. The hift are chiefly made from the tough, 

 membraneous part of the flock of the plantain tree ; thofe 

 that they wear, from the pandanus, cultivated for that pur- 

 pofe, and never fuffered to fhoot into a trunk ; and the 

 coarfer fort, which they fleep upon, from a plant called 

 evarra. There are many other articles of lefs note, that 

 employ the fpare time of their females ; as combs, of which 

 they make vafl numbers ; and little bafkets made of the 

 fame fubdance as the macs, and others of the fibrous cocoa- 

 nut hufk, either plain, or interwoven with fmali beads ; 

 but all, finiflied with fuch neatnefs and taflc in the difpofi- 

 tion of iiie various parts, that a flranger cannot help ad- 

 miring their affiduity and dexterity. 



5 The 



