CHARACTERS. 



535 



of sin was weakened, the vices of 

 the natives appeared less odious 

 and criminal. After a time I was 

 induced to yield to their allure- 

 ments, to imitate their manners, 

 and to join them in their sins. 



Modesty by degrees, lost with 

 me its moralizing charm : and it 

 was not long ere I disincumbered 

 myself of my European garment, 

 and contented myself with the na- 

 tive dress. The dress of the chiefs 

 principally consisted of a piece of 

 cloth.severa! yards in extent, wrap* 

 pedround the body, and fastened 

 by a peculiar kind of knot below 

 the bosom, whence it hung down 

 loose below the knee. This dress, 

 by being tied close with a belt, 

 was sufficiently long to throw the 

 upper part over the shoulders. 

 But however thiswasdone at other 

 times, it%vas always thrown off the 

 shoulders whenever a chief came 

 in sight. The women were not 

 excused from this humiliating 

 token ofsubmission, as long as they 

 were in the presence of a chief. A 

 person who should neglect this 

 would be instantly struck to the 

 ground, as guilty of the greatest 

 disrespect. 



Thisfull dress, however, was too 

 costlyfor the generality to procure, 

 nor do the chiefs always wear it. 

 The general dress, is the jiggee. 

 This is made of the gee leaves, 

 which spring np~ from a large root, 

 and are very broad and strong. 

 These are shredded fine, and being 

 thickly entwined in a belt, of the 

 same kind, and fastened round the 

 waist, they hang down to the mid- 

 thigh like a full fringe. On festive 

 occasions this is a very common 

 dress with tlie women as well as 

 the men, especially in their public 

 dances, when the only addition to 



this dress are encircling strings of 

 flowers. There are none but can 

 obtain the jiggee dress. 



The inferior classes, however, 

 often wear only the maro, which is 

 a belt about four or five inches 

 broad crossed, and fastened round 

 the waist. And indeed, when 

 they are employed in fishing, or 

 any other active business, or when 

 they go to war, this covering 

 generally composes the whole of 

 their dress. 



At this time. Shelly, one of my 

 former companions, came to see 

 me: he was struck with grief and 

 surprise at my appearance ; and 

 seriously reproved me for it. My 

 conscience seconded his reproofs, 

 1 acknowledged my error, but ex- 

 cused myself bya variety of empty 

 pretexts, such as the warmth of 

 the climate, the general custom of 

 the natives ; its convenience in a 

 country, where, when clothes were 

 wet, it was difficult to dry them 

 again, and when worn out impos- 

 sible to renew them. Shelly heard 

 my excuses with pity, b-Jt did not 

 see into the long train of evils con- 

 nected with this violation of pro- 

 priety; nor knew that my con- 

 science, while I spoke, condemned 

 the excuses with which I had soft- 

 ened his severity. In truth, the 

 various temptations to which, till 

 now, I had been an entire stranger 

 were too pleasing to tne inclina- 

 tions, and suitable to the taste of 

 a young man of twenty-five. 



Unhappily, as the companion 

 of the chiefs, I was constantly ex- 

 posed to temptation, being present 

 at every alluring scene. 



He that indulges an evil imagi- 

 nation with amusements that tend 

 to pollute the heart, will soon be 

 seduced into criminalilv. No 



