Riissian ExpedUioii to Japan. g 



the natives in awe. Having landed with great difficulty, 

 on account of the strong surf, the people surrounded us 

 with every token of joy : they ran round us sinking and 

 dancing, while Ketenue's paternal uncle, who, however, 

 was always called his father, kept them in order with a 

 long pole, but without ever striking any of theni. Wc 

 entered Ketenue's house and saw his whole family, con- 

 sisting of his wife and daughters. He then conducted us 

 into another house adjacent, but as it was iaabooed none 

 of the natives durst follow us. The place on which this 

 house stood was elevated, and paved with stones. We here 

 remained unmolested, and were regaled with the kernel of 

 the coco-nut, and had some of the liquor to drink. fCe- 

 tenue often paid us a visit, and always received a present : 

 but the natives set so much value on their swine that we 

 could obtain from them only five, which were all of a small 

 size. 



On the 9th we received information that a ship was ia 

 sight; and on the 10th the Neva arrived. On the 13th a 

 large body of us, for we were accompanied bv some of the 

 crew of the Neva, went on shore welT armed; and after 

 viewing the moral, which is here called wa/ii/aaloo, we 

 paid a visit to Roberts and Kctcnue. By an accident I lost 

 a great many of my papers, among which were three sheets 

 respecting Nukahiva. This, I know, is no serious loss ; 

 but I must make an apology for presenting you only with 

 fragments. 



I cannot comprehend why the beauty of the women of 

 t'ne Marquesas has been so much extolled. In reoard to 

 the face in general, I shall say nothing; but their persons 

 are altogether ugly. They arc small, and of low stature: 

 their arms are proportionally thin, and the lower extremities 

 thick and clumsy. When a female has attained to the full 

 growth, that is to say, the age of fourteen or fifteen, her 

 breasts are quite flaccid, and hang down. Children of the 

 age of nine or ten came on board our ship, many of whom 

 were married. All those who came on board \\ ere quite 

 naked. Some of them had a cord tied round their middle, 

 from which were suspended two leaves, one bclbre and liic 

 other behind. On shore we saw several v.ho Imd fastened 

 round them a piece of cloth made from the bark of the paper 

 mulberry tree; and others were painted \cllow with the 

 juice of the curcuma root. 'J'liey were not much tatooed, 

 and only on the arnii and shoulders, with some transverse 

 strokes above the lips. 



The males are very fine men, of a srood stature, and have 



well 



