383 TAHITI. [CIIAI-. xvm. 



ductiveuess no doubt enters largely into the feeling of admiration. 

 The little winding paths, cool from the surrounding shade, led to 

 the scattered houses; the owners of which everywhere gave us 

 a cheerful and most hospitable reception. 



I was pleased with nothing so much as with the inhabitants. 

 There is a mildness in the expression of their countenances which 

 at once banishes the idea of a savage ; and an intelligence which 

 shows that they are advancing in civilization. The common 

 people, when working, keep the upper part of their bodies quite 

 naked; and it is then that the Tahitians are seen to advantage. 

 They are very tall, broad-shouldered, athletic, and well-propor- 

 tioned. It has been remarked, that it requires little habit to make 

 a dark skin more pleasing and natural to the eye of an European 

 than his own colour. A white man bathing by the side of a 

 Tahitian, was like a plant bleached by the gardener's art compared 

 with a fine dark green one growing vigorously in the open fields. 

 Most of the men are tattooed, and the ornaments follow the curva- 

 ture of the body so gracefully, that they have a very elegant effect. 

 One common pattern, varying in its details, is somewhat like the 

 crown of a palm-tree. It springs from the central line of the back, 

 and gracefully curls round both sides. The simile may be a 

 fanciful one, but I thought the body of a man thus ornamented 

 was like the trunk of a noble tree embraced by a delicate 

 creeper. 



Many of the elder people had their feet covered with small 

 figures, so placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, 

 is partly gone by, and has been succeeded by others. Here, 

 although fashion is far from immutable, every one must abide by 

 that prevailing in his youth. An old man has thus his age for 

 ever stamped on his body, and he cannot assume the airs of a 

 young dandy. The women are tattooed in the same manner as 

 the men, and very commonly on their fingers. One unbecoming 

 fashion is now almost universal: namely, shaving the hair from 

 the upper part of the head, in a circular form, so as to leave only 

 an outer ring. The missionaries have tried to persuade the people 

 to change this habit ; .but it is the fashion, and that is a sufficient 

 answer at Tahiti, as well as at Paris. I was much disappointed in 

 the personal appearance of the women: they are far inferior in 

 every respect to the men. The custom of wearing a white or 

 scarlet flower in the back of the head, or through a small hole 



