408 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



Otaheiteans, and the distant gravity and reserve of the in- 

 habitants of the Friendly Islands. They appear to live in 

 the utmost harmony and friendship with one another. The 

 women who had children were remarkable for their tender 

 and constant attention to them ; and the men would often 

 lend their assistance in those domestic offices with a willing- 

 ness that does credit to their feelings. 



" The inhabitants of these islands differ from those of the 

 Friendly Isles, in suffering, almost universally, their beards 

 to grow. There were indeed a few amongst whom was the 

 old king, that cut it of! entirely, and others that wore it only 

 upon the upper lip. The same variety in the manner of 

 wearing the hair is also observable here as among the other 

 islanders of the South Sea ; besides which they have a 

 fashion, as far as we know, peculiar to themselves. They 

 cut it close on each side of the head down to the ears. 



" Both sexes wear necklaces made of strings of small 

 variegated shells, and an ornament, in the form of the 

 handle of a cup, about two inches long, and half an inch 

 broad, made of wood, stone, or ivory, finely polished, which 

 is hung about the neck by fine threads of twisted hair, 

 doubled sometimes a hundred fold. Instead of this 

 ornament, some of them wear on their breast a small human 

 figure made of bone, suspended in the same manner. 



" The custom of tattooing the body they have in common 

 with the rest of the natives of the South Sea islands, but 

 it is only at New Zealand and the Sandwich Islands that 

 they tattoo the face. They have a singular custom amongst 

 them, the meaning of which we could never learn that of 

 tattooing the tip of the tongues of the females. 



" The dress of the men generally consists only of a piece 

 of thick cloth, called the maro, about ten or twelve inches 

 broad, which they pass between the legs, and tie round the 

 waist. This is the common dress of all ranks of people. 

 Their mats, some of which are beautifully manufactured, are 

 of various sizes, but mostly about five feet long and four 

 broad. These they throw over their shoulders, and bring 

 forward before ; but they are seldom used, except in time 

 of war, for which purpose they seem better adapted than 

 for ordinary use, and capable of breaking the blow of a 

 stone, or any blunt weapon. 



" The common dress of the women bears a close resem- 

 blance to that of the men. They wrap round the waist a 

 piece of cloth that reaches half way down the thighs, and 

 sometimes in the cool of the evening they appear with loose 

 pieces of fine cloth thrown over their shoulders, like the 

 women of Otaheite. The pau is another dress very fre- 

 quently worn by the younger part of the sex. It is made 



