THE PACIFIC OCEAN. M 



people; fori am ftrongly inclined to believe, that, excepting '779- 

 the few, whofe names are mentioned in the courfe of our 

 narrative, we did not fee any woman of rank during our Hay 

 amongft them. 



Their natural capacity feems, in no refpeel, below the 

 common ftandard of mankind. Their improvements in 

 agriculture, and the perfection of their manufactures, are 

 certainly adequate to the circumftances of their fituation, and 

 the natural advantages they enjoy. The eager curiolity, with 

 which they attended the armourer's forge, and the many 

 expedients they had invented, even before we left the iflands, 

 for working the iron they had procured from us, into fuch 

 forms as were belt adapted to their purpofes, were flrong 

 proofs of docility and ingenuity. 



Our unfortunate friend, Kaneena, polTefTed a degree of ju- 

 dicious c'uriofity, and a quicknefs of conception, which was 

 rarely met with amongft thefc people. He was very inquifi- 

 tive after our cuftoms and manners; afked after our King; 

 the nature of our government ; our numbers ; the method 

 of building our mips ; our houfes ; the produce of our coun- 

 try ; whether we had wars ; with whom ; and on what oc- 

 cafions ; and in what manner they were carried on; who 

 was our God 3 and many other qucflions of the fame na- 

 ture, which indicated an underflanding of great compre- 

 henfion. 



We met with two instances of perfons difordcred in their 

 minds, the one a man at Owhyhee, the other a woman at 

 Oneeheow. It appeared, from the particular attention and 

 refpeel: paid to them, that the opinion of their being infpired 

 by the Divinity, which obtains among molt of the nations of 

 the Eaft, is alio received here. 



S 2 Though 



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