THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 427 



fruit. However seldom the usefulness of an object can 

 account for the pleasure of beholding it, in the case of these 

 beautiful woods, the knowledge of their high productiveness 

 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 inhabit- 

 ants. There is a mildness in the expression of their coun- 

 tenances which at once banishes the idea of a savage; and 

 an intelligence which shows that they are advancing in civili- 

 zation. 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-proportioned. 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 orna- 

 ments follow the curvature of the body so gracefully, that 

 they have a very elegant effect. One common pattern, vary- 

 ing 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 



