THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 

 of the left hand, to clofe the left noftril, and blow into the 1777- 



T 1 



hole at one end, with the other. The middle finger of the ' ^ 



left hand is applied to the firft hole on the left, and the fore- 

 finger of the right, to the loweft hole on that fide. In this 

 manner, though the notes are only three, they produce a 

 pleafing, yet fimple, mufic, which they vary much more 

 than one would think polTible, with fo imperfetft an inftru- 

 ment. Their being accuftomed to a mufic which confifts of 

 fo tew notes, is, perhaps, the reafon why they do not feem 

 to reiilh any of ours, which is fo complex. But they can 

 tafte what is more deficient than their own ; for, we ob- 

 ferved, that they ufed to be well pleafed with hearing the 

 chant of our two young New Zealanders, which confided 

 rather in mere fl:rength, than in melody of exprefllon. 



The weapons, which they make, are clubs of different 

 forts (m the ornamenting of which they fpend much time), 

 fpears, and darts. They have alfo bows and arrows; but thefe 

 feemed to be defigned only for amufement, fuch as fhoot- 

 ing at birds, and not for military purpofes. The ftools are 

 about two feet long, but only four or five inches high, and 

 near four broad, bending downward in the middle, with 

 four ftrong legs, and circular feet ; the whole made of one 

 piece of black or brown wood, neatly poliflied, and fome- 

 times inlaid with bits of ivory. They alfo inlay the handles 

 of fly flaps with ivory, after being neatly carved ^ and they 

 fliape bones into fmall figures of men, birds, and other 

 things, which muft be very diflScult, as their carving inflru- 

 ment is only a fhark's tooth. 



Yams, plantains, and cocoa nuts, compofe the grcateft 

 part of their vegetable diet. Of their animal food, the chief 

 articles are hogs, fowls, fifli, and all forts of fhcll fifli; but 

 the lower people eat rats. The two firft vegetable articles, 



with 



397 



