1779« THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 121 



In justice, however, to the sex, it must be observed, 

 that these ladies were probably all of the lower class 

 of the people; for I am strongly inclined to believe, 

 that, excepting the few, whose names are mentioned 

 in the course of our narrative, we did not see any 

 woman of rank, during our stay amongst them. 



Their natural capacity seems, in no respect, below 

 the common standard of mankind. Their improve- 

 ments in agriculture, and the perfection of their 

 manufactures, are certainly adequate to the circum- 

 stances of their situation, and the natural advantages 

 they enjoy. The eager curiosity with which they 

 attended the armourer's forge, and the many expedi- 

 ents they had invented, even before we left the islands, 

 for working the iron they had procured from us, into 

 such forms as were best adapted to their purposes, 

 were strong proofs of docility and ingenuity. 



Our unfortunate friend, Kaneena, possessed a degree 

 of judicious curiosity, and a quickness of conception, 

 which was rarely met with amongst these people. 

 He was very inquisitive after our customs and man- 

 ners; asked after our king; the nature of our 

 government; our numbers; the method of building 

 our ships; our houses ; the produce of our country; 

 whether we had wars; with whom ; and on what 

 occasions; and in what manner they were carried 

 on; who was our God; and many other questions of 

 the same nature, which indicated an understanding 

 of great comprehension. 



We met with two instances of persons disordered 

 in their minds, the one a man at Owhyhee, the other 

 a woman at Oneeheow. It appeared, from the par- 

 ticular attention and respect paid to them, that the 

 opinion of their being inspired by the Divinity, which 

 obtains ampng most of the nations of the east, is also 

 received here. 



Though the custom of eating the bodies of their 

 enemies be not kuown, by positive evidence, to exist 

 in any of the South Sea Islands, except New Zealand, 



