THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. '251 



self-confidence, and more unreserved cheerfulness. 

 The chiefs are, in particular, of the handsomest 

 and most robust make. The women are handsome, 

 but not attractive. 



Former travellers have observed, that, on the 

 Sandwich islands, natural deformities are more 

 fiequent than on the other islands of Eastern Po- 

 lynesia^ • We saw at Woahoo several individuals 

 with crooked backs, an idiot, and several people 

 of one family with six fingers on the hands. 



The Owhyeeans are tattooed very little, and ir- 

 regularly. It is remarkable that this national orna- 

 ment has borrowed foreign patterns. Goats, 

 muskets, even letters of the alphabet, name and 

 birth-place, are frequently tattooed along the arm. 

 The men shave their beards, and cut their hair in 

 the form of a helmet, the crest of which is often 

 bleached, so as to be of a light or whitish colour. 

 The w^omen have it cut short, keeping only a rim 

 over the forehead, bleached white with unslacked 

 lime, and standing up like bristles. Sometimes a 

 fine long curl is preserved on the middle of the 

 forehead, and dyed violet, which is combed back. 

 To please the Europeans, some suffer their hair to 

 grow, and tie it up behind in a queuCy resembling 

 that which was ordered in the regulations of the 

 Prussian army, in 1800. The Owhyeeans have 

 in general wisely remained faithful, both to their 

 national costume, and to tiieir mode of life. Their 

 princes only dressed themselves in honour of us, 



