6^ FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 



was close to us, and his delight was boundless. I 

 was as if surrounded by romping children, though 

 the very grey beard of one of them showed his 

 advanced age. But I have often observed, that, 

 in this people, age does not suppress childish cheer- 

 fulness ; and some who could scarcely move for 

 the infirmities of age, took a share in every thing 

 with youthful vivacity ; and I never saw them out 

 of temper. Their fine climate, and their diet, 

 consisting of fruits, may be the reason of this 

 circumstance, which is so rare among us : and it 

 is probably also owing to their vegetable diet, 

 that this whole people is tall and very slender. 

 Their bones are as delicate as those of women : 

 their hands and feet uncommonly small. They 

 have very little laborious work to do : their only 

 employment is to build boats, which they now 

 cannot do without ; these are long and narrow, and 

 lie deep, on which account they can sail against 

 the wind j the sails and cords are made by the wo- 

 men, with great ingenuity, out of cocoa bark. The 

 people are mild and timid, but appear to be some- 

 times engaged in war, as they have wooden lances 

 which are badly made, provided at the top with 

 barbs or sharks* teeth, which must certainly inflict 

 very bad wounds. After my friends had been 

 sufficiently entertained in the cabin, I accompanied 

 them on deck, where some more islanders had 

 come, and who heard from their countrymen long 

 accounts of what they had seen. I again gave all 



