264 INHABITANTS OF MAOUNA. 
they think themselves the strongest, and are 
not exposed to vengeance. I would not even 
advise placing too much confidence in the in- 
habitants of Radack, who are certainly among 
the best of these islanders. It is only when 
ideas of right and wrong are steadily fixed, that 
man becomes really rational ; before this, he is 
like other animals, the mere slave of his instincts. 
- The inhabitants of Maouna are probably 
the worst of these tribes; those we saw were 
at least five feet and a half in height, slender, 
their limbs of a moderate size, and striking- 
ly muscular; I should have thought their faces 
handsome, had they not been disfigured by an 
expression of wildness and cruelty; their colour 
is dark brown; some let their long, straight, 
black hair hang down unornamented over neck, 
face, and shoulders ; others wore *t bound up, 
or frizzed and crisped by burning, and en- 
tangled like a cap round the head: these caps 
are coloured yellow, and make a striking con- 
trast with the heads which remain black. Some, 
again, coloured their hair red, and curled it 
over their shoulders like a full-bottomed wig. 
A great deal of time must be required for this 
