12 Ka Haiia Kapa. 



"The cloth itself, both thick and thin, resembles the finest cottons, in softness 

 especially, in which property it even exceeds them; its delicacy (for it tears by the 

 smallest accident ) makes it impossible that it can ever be nsed in Europe, indeed it is 

 properl}- adapted to a hot climate. I used it to sleep in very often in the islands, and 

 always fouud it far cooler than an}- English cloth. 



"Having thus described their manner of making the cloth, I shall proceed to 

 their method of dyeing. They use principally two colours, red and 3-ellow. The first 

 of these is most beautiful, I might venture to saj- a more delicate colour than any we 

 have in Europe, approaching, however, most nearly- to scarlet. The second is a good 

 bright colour, but of no particular excellence. They also on some occasions d3'e the 

 cloth brown and black, but so seldom that I had no opportunity during ni}- sta}- of 

 seeing the method, or of learning the materials they make use of. I shall therefore 

 say no more of these colours than that they were so indifferent in their qualities that 

 the}' did not much raise mv curiosity to inquire concerning them. 



"To begin with the red, in favour of which I shall premise that I believe no 

 voj^ager has passed through these seas but that he has said something in praise of this 

 colour, the brightness and elegance of which is so great that it cannot avoid being 

 taken notice of b}- the most superficial observer. This colour is made by the admixture 

 of the juices of two vegetables neither of which in their separate state have the least 

 tendency to the colour of red, nor, so far at least as I have been able to observe, are 

 there any circumstances relating to them from whence any one would be led to conclude 

 that the red colour was at all latent in them. The plants are Ficus tiiutoyia^ called b}- 

 them niattc (the same name as the colour), and Cordia Sehesfoia^' called c/oit ; of these, 

 the fruits of the first, and the leaves of the second, are used in the following manner: 



" The fruit, which is about as large as a rounceval pea, or ver}- small goose- 

 berry, produces, by breaking off the stalk close to it, one drop of a milky liquor 

 resembling the juice of a fig tree in Europe. Indeed, the tree itself is a kind of wild 

 fig. This liquor the women collect, breaking off the foot-stalk, and shaking the drop 

 which hangs to the little fig into a small quantity of cocoanut water. To sufficienth- 

 prepare a gill of cocoanut water will require three or four Cjuarts of the little figs, 

 though I never could observe that they had any rule in deciding the proportion, 

 except by observing the cocoanut water, which should be of the colour of whe}-, when 

 a sufficient quantit}- of the juice of the little figs was mixed with it. When this 

 liquor is ready, the leaves of the ctou are brought and well wetted in it ; the}- are then 

 laid upon a plantain leaf, and the women begin, at first gently, to turn and shake 

 them about; afterwards, as they grow more and more flaccid by this operation, to 



" For illustrations of both of these sec the chapter on Materials. 



