83 AN ACCOUNT OE THE 



having borne a child; fometimes they have two or 

 three, when, upon a marriage taking place, the chil- 

 dren are left with the parents of their mother. The 

 ftate of flavery is unknown to thefe people. 



The cuftom of tattooing is general throughout thefe 



iflands. They call it in their language tee tee. They 

 begin to imprint thele marks on boys of feven years 

 of age, but they only trace at iirlt a few outlines. 

 As they advance in years, and go to war, they fill up 

 tlie marks, the right to which depends on having killed 

 an enemy. Such is the account they gave us, 

 and it is probable enough that this cuftom may origi- 

 nally have been intended as a murk of military dif- 

 tindtion ; but fuch original intention cannot at prefent 

 have place, as the marks are common to every indivi- 

 dual, and wars fcarce occur once in a generation. The 

 figures imprinted are the fame throughout, or the va- 

 riation, if any, is very trifling, excepting that, in 

 fome of the young men, the outline only of the broad 

 mark on the breall is traced, but this is filled up as 

 they grow older. The women have a ftar imprinted 

 on each flioulder, and generally fome fmall marks on 

 the back of the hands. TJiefe marks are imprinted 

 with a pointed inftrument, conhfting of a brafs wire 

 fixed perpendicularly into a piece of flick about eight 

 inches in length ; this piece is ftuck with another fmall 

 long ftick with repeated light ftrokcs. The pigment 

 ufed for this purpofe is made of the fmoke collected 

 from a fpecies of relin, which is mixed with water ; 

 the operator takes a flem of dried grafs, or a fine piece 

 of ftick, and dipping the end in the pigment, traces 

 on the fkin the outline of the figure, with great fteadi- 

 nefs and dexterity ; then, dipping the brafs poinia 

 the fame compofition, he with very quick and light 

 ftrokes drives it into the iTcin, tracing the outline be- 

 fore drawn, which leaves an indelible mark. Mr. Best 

 fubmitted to the operation on hii k'g, and found it at- 

 tended . with fome pain. 



SvcH 



