1769 DYES 149 
also put patches on any part which may be thinner than the 
rest, generally finishing their work, if intended to be of the 
best kind, by pasting a complete covering of the finest thin 
cloth or hoboo over the whole. They sometimes make a thick 
cloth also of only half-worn cloth, which, having been worn 
by cleanly people, is not soiled enough to require washing: 
of this it is sufficient to paste the edges together. The 
thick cloth made in either of these ways is used either for 
the garment called maro, which is a long piece passed 
between the legs and round the waist, and which serves 
instead of breeches, or as the ¢ebuta, a garment used equally 
by both sexes instead of a coat or gown, which exactly 
resembles that worn by the inhabitants of Peru and Chili, 
and is called by the Spaniards poncho. 
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 used in 
Europe, indeed it is properly adapted to a hot climate. I 
used it to sleep in very often in the islands, and always 
found it far cooler than any 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 yellow. The first of these 
is most beautiful, I might venture to say 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 
dye the cloth brown and black, but so seldom that I had no 
opportunity during my stay of seeing the method, or of 
learning the materials which they make use of. I shall 
therefore say no more of these colours than that they were 
so indifferent in their qualities that they did not much raise 
my curiosity to inquire concerning them. 
To begin then with the red, in favour of which I shall 
premise that I believe no voyager 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 
