160 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



have good features, and not disagreeable countenances, are 

 friendly and hospitable to strangers, but as much addicted 

 to pilfering as any of their neighbours. 



The women's clothing is a piece or two of quilted cloth, 

 about six feet by four, or a mat. One piece wrapped round 

 their loins, and another over their shoulders, make a 

 complete dress. But the men, for the most part, are in 

 a manner naked, wearing nothing but a slip of cloth betwixt 

 their legs, each end of which is fastened to a cord or belt 

 they wear round the waist. The Otaheitean cloth, or indeed 

 any sort, was much valued by them. 



Harmless and friendly as these people seem to be, they 

 are not without offensive weapons, such as short wooden 

 clubs and spears. 



Their houses are low miserable huts, constructed by 

 setting sticks upright in the ground, at six or eight feet 

 distance, then bending them towards each other, and tying 

 them together at the top, forming thereby a kind of Gothic 

 arch. The whole is thatched over with leaves of sugar-cane. 

 The door-way is in the middle of one side, formed like a 

 porch, and so low and narrow as just to admit a man to 

 enter upon all-fours. 



The gigantic statues are not, in Captain Cook's opinion, 

 looked upon as idols by the present inhabitants, whatever 

 they might have been in the days of the Dutch ; at least 

 he saw nothing that could induce him to think so. On the 

 contrary, he rather supposes that they are burying-places 

 for certain tribes or families. 



On the 16th of March they stood out to sea, and, having 

 now a steady, settled trade- wind, and pleasant weather, the 

 forge was ordered to be set up, to repair and make various 

 necessary articles in the iron way. 



On the 7th of April, they saw an isle, which, as it was a 

 new discovery, they named Hood's Island, after the young 

 gentleman who first saw it ; the second was that of St. 

 Pedro ; the third, La Dominica ; and the fourth, St. 

 Christina. They ranged the S.E. coast of La Dominica, 

 without seeing the least signs of anchorage, Some canoes 

 put off from these places, and followed them down the 

 coast. 



At length, having come before the port they were in 

 search of, they cast anchor. This was no sooner done, than 

 about thirty or forty of the natives came off in ten or twelve 

 canoes ; but it required some address to get them alongside. 

 At last a hatchet and some spike-nails induced the people 

 in one canoe to come under the quarter-gallery ; after which 

 all the others put alongside, and having exchanged some 

 bread-fruit and fish for small nails, retired on shore. 



