298 CRUISE OF THE PORPOISE. 



had beards and mustaches. They partook of the Sanioan cast of 

 feature, and are an equally athletic, erect, and finely-formed race. 



Neither tattooing nor circumcision appears to be practised, but many 

 of the men were observed to have lost their front teeth. The custom, 

 however, of scarifying the body and limbs appears to be general. 

 Dress they had none, except a small maro. A few words were found 

 to resemble the other Polynesian dialects, but neither the Hawaiians 

 nor Taliitians could communicate with them. 



Only two or three women were seen : they were delicate in appear- 

 ance, of light complexion, and feminine cast of features, with long 

 glossy hair, and beautiful white teeth. Dr. Holmes remarks that 

 their mammae were immensely large. The women from their gestures 

 pi'oved themselves to possess habits fully as unchaste and profligate as 

 elsewhere in Polynesia. 



From what was seen of these natives, they appeared a ferocious 

 and quarrelsome set, paying little attention or regard to the old men, 

 whom they treated with great roughness. On the occasion of a 

 canoe being overturned by coming in contact with a larger one, and 

 drifting astern, an old man seized hold of the larger canoe, to save 

 himself from following his boat ; but instead of any assistance being 

 offered him, his fingers were struck xintil he relinquished his hold 

 and was obliged to seek his own canoe. 



Few evidences of rank were observed among them, and but one 

 was seen who had the appearance of being a chief This was an old 

 man, who was seated in the centre of a canoe, paddled by fifteen 

 natives, who were striving hard to overtake the brig. He wore a 

 sort of mantle of plaited leaves over his shoulders, with a fillet of 

 leaves on his head, and his whole bearing and conduct betokened 

 authority. A bunch of what were apparently cock's feathers was 

 also noticed. 



Spears made of cocoa-nut wood, from six to eight feet long, were the 

 only weapons seen among them, with the exception of pieces of coral. 



For ornaments they had strands of human hair braided and deco- 

 rated with finger-nails half an inch long, and two to each strand. 

 Only two or three of them wore short mantles. 



Their canoes were of a dark-coloured wood, with a light out-rigger, 

 and without sails : they were ingeniously constructed of pieces sewed 

 together with sennit ; they leaked badly, however, and it was neces- 

 sary to keep one man constantly baling. They were the largest that 



