12 ETHNOGRAPHY. 



both sexes whom we saw at Oahu, this reputation is not undeserved. 

 They were of the middle size, elegantly proportioned, with small and 

 regular features. They lacked, however, the intellectual expression 

 given by the expanded and lofty brow of the Samoans. 



The Sandwich Islanders resemble the Tahitians, though of darker 

 hue. The difference, also, between the chiefs and common people, is 

 still more strongly marked, the former being generally large, and 

 loaded with flesh, while the latter are commonly rather small and 

 meagre. The head, in this people, as well as in the other tribes 

 of Eastern Polynesia, although broad behind, diminishes in width 

 towards the frontal region, and appears as though compressed at the 

 temples. But the characteristic which distinguishes the Hawaiians 

 from all the other islanders of the Pacific, is a slight projection of the 

 mouth, which produces or is accompanied by a hollo wness in the 

 lower part of the cheek, and a peculiar pouting expression of the lips. 

 We have not found this trait especially noted by any observer, with 

 the exception of M. P. E. Botta, (son of the celebrated historian,) who 

 visited these islands as naturalist on board the ship Le Heros, and has 

 published his observations in the Annales des Voyages for 1831. He 

 says, " The mouth is large, and presents in the form of the lips a cha- 

 racter which would enable me to distinguish a Sandwich Islander 

 among any people on the earth. The upper lip, instead of being 

 arched, as with Europeans, seems square. The line which it traces 

 rises straight up from the corner of the mouth, and then, turning at a 

 right angle, becomes horizontal. It is, moreover, very near the nose, 

 which is commonly flat and broad." In the course of our voyage we 

 saw, at most of the Polynesian groups, Sandwich Islanders, who had 

 left vessels on board of which they had served, and taken up their 

 residence among the natives, adopting their habits and mode of 

 dress; yet we were always able to distinguish them at first sight 

 from the rest. 



The people of the Union Group (Fakaafo, &c.,) resembled very 

 closely those of Samoa, except, as has been before remarked, that 

 they were of a somewhat lighter hue, a fact the more remarkable, as 

 they live on a low flat coral island, only nine degrees from the equator. 

 They are of good size, well formed, with smooth skins and little beard. 

 Their hair also, for some reason, seemed to be thinner than usual, and 

 some of them were partially bald. This circumstance may serve to 

 account for the fact that among the articles which they brought off 

 for sale were several packages of false hair, neatly put up for wearing. 



