OF THE SOUTH SEAS 479 



place. On an acre or two of grass and moss, removed 

 from any habitation, grew a score of lofty cocoas, and 

 under these we threw off our parens or trousers and 

 shirts. The bank of the stream was a fathom from the 

 water which was brackish at high tide and sweet at low. 

 With a short run and a curving leap we plunged into 

 the flowing water. It was refreshing at the hottest 

 hour. The Tahitians seldom dived head first, as we 

 did, but jumped feet foremost, and the women in a 

 sitting posture, which made a great splash, but pre- 

 vented their gowns from rising. As I remarked before, 

 we three Americans bathed stark when with men, but 

 the modest Tahitian men never for a moment uncovered 

 themselves, but wore their parens. Captain Cook said 

 that in their houses he had not seen a single instance 

 of immodesty, though families slept in one room. Choti 

 avowed that he had to make love to his girl models to 

 induce them to pose in the altogether, for money would 

 not make them adopt the garb of Venus. 



The Tahitians did not enter the sea for pleasure. 

 The rivers and brooks were their bathing- and resting- 

 places. They attributed sicknesses to the too frequent 

 touch of salt water. Thev had not the habitude of 

 swimming within the lagoons, as at Hawaii ; it was not 

 with them an exercise or luxury, but a part of their 

 every-day activities in fishing and canoeing. A farmer 

 after his day's work does not run foot-races. Yet in 

 gatherings these people often vied for supremacy in 

 every sort of sea sport, and beforetime, in bays free of 

 coral, developed an astonishing skill in surf-riding on 

 boards, in canoes, and without artificial support. Such 

 skill was ranked on a par with or perhaps the same as 



