156 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



had the little finger of her left hand wrapped 

 up in cloth made of paper mulberry-tree bark, 

 which was ftained with blood. We dcfired to 

 fee the wound, and immediately another reach- 

 ed down from the roof under which we were, 

 a bit of plantain-leaf, out of which flic took the 

 tw o firft joints of this young girl's little finger, 

 that had been cut off very recently, on pur- 

 pofe, as file told us, to cure a fcrious difor- 

 der. She flieued us the hatchet of volcanic 

 fione which had been employed in this opera- 

 tion, and informed us, that the operator had 

 at firil: prclTed the edge of the inftrument on the 

 extremity of the third joint of the finger, and 

 afterwards (Iruck forcibly on the hatchet with, 

 the helve of another. 



This little girl foon went away; but, before 

 her departure, fiie kilTed the daughters of Too- 

 I;ou, after tlie manner of the inhabitants of the 

 rricncily Iflands, which confifts in touching, 

 with the tip of the nofe, the nofeof the perfon 

 embr;iced. It is remarkable that thefe ifinnders, 

 Mho have a great refemblancc to Europeans, 

 have ncvcrthelefs the extremity oi their nofe 

 a little flattened ; which trifling dt-forniily very 

 probably is cjcaiioned by the cuiloni I have 

 juR mentioned. 



"Too-oiC'^ daugiiters changed names with us, 

 an ufage eilablillied among thefe people 



to 



