136 AVOYAGETO 



'779- fuch a particular mark was in memory of fuch a Chief; and 

 fo of the reft. It may be here, too, obferved, that the low- 

 ed clafs are often taltowed with a mark, that diftinguifhes 

 them as the property of the feveral Chiefs to whom they 

 belong. 



The drefs of the men generally confifts only of a piece of 

 thick cloth called the maro, about ten or twelve inches broad, 

 which they pafs between the legs, and tie round the waift. 

 This is the common drefs of all ranks of people. Their 

 mats, fome of which are beautifully manufactured, are of 

 various fizes, but moflly about five feet long, and four 

 broad. Thefe they throw over their moulders, and bring 

 forward before ; but they are feldom ufed, except in time of 

 war, for which purpofe they leem better adapted than for 

 ordinary ufe, being of a thick and cumberfome texture, and 

 capable of breaking the blow of a (tone, or any blunt wea- 

 pon. Their feet are generally bare, except when they have 

 occafion to travel over the burnt flones, when they fecure 

 them with a fort of fandal, made of cords, twitted from the 

 fibres of the cocoa-nut. Such is the ordinary drefs of thefe 

 iflanders; but they have another, appropriated to their 

 Chiefs, and ufed on ceremonious occasions, confiding of a 

 feathered cloak and helmet, which, in point of beauty and 

 magnificence, is perhaps nearly equal to that of any nation 

 in the world. As this drefs has been already defcribed with 

 great accuracy and minutcnefs, I have only to add, that 

 thefe cloaks are made of different lengths, in proportion to 

 the rank of the wearer, fome of them reaching no lower 

 than the middle, others trailing on the ground. The infe- 

 rior Chiefs have alfo a fhort cloak, refembling the former, 

 made of the long tail-feathers of the cock, the tropic and 

 man of war birds, with a broad border of the fmall red and 



yellow 



