16 
B0Wl3lTCH ISLAND. 
terror. In contrast with the old queen, the younger females appeared 
very good-looking and well shaped. 
The natives all showed a constant anxiety for the departure of our 
people, frequently repeating expressions which were interpreted that 
they were tired of their company; but all this time they carried on an 
active trade, and exhibited their thieving disposition very strongly. 
The officers lost many small articles, which were pilfered very dexter¬ 
ously ; and if any things were dropped or suffered to be out of sight a 
moment, they were instantly concealed or made away with. Mr. Rich, 
when near the boat, gave his botanical collecting-case to a native to 
hold, who, the moment his back was turned, ran off with it; and it 
required a hard chase to overtake him. 
In one part of the village, two drums were seen: one of these was 
a trough resembling those at the Feejee and Tonga Islands; the other 
was a cylindrical frame, set upright in the ground, with a piece of 
shark’s skin drawn tightly over it, like those of Hawaii: the latter was 
beaten like our drums, with two sticks, and was intended as an accom¬ 
paniment to dancing; for when it was beaten, the natives began that 
exercise. The motions of the dance were similar to those observed in 
other parts of Polynesia, only more varied. 
The younger portion of the community, of both sexes, were naked ; 
while those more advanced in life wore the maro, which in the men 
was from six to eighteen inches wide. Some of these were very fine 
in texture, and bordered with fringe. The maro worn by the elder 
and it was presumed married women, consisted of a great number of 
leaves tied to a cord, and then slit into fine threads. These were kept 
well oiled and perfectly pliable, and formed a huge apron, resembling 
a bundle of straw tied around the loins: it was almost impossible 
to conceive a more unwieldy or ridiculous dress ; its weight was 
about fifty pounds, which may give some idea of its size; if it were 
rolled up, it would never have been recognised as a part of female 
attire. 
Their ornaments consisted of necklaces of shells and bone, ear-rings 
of the same, and false curls in front. It was observed, that their hair 
appeared to be thinner than that of the other islanders, though their 
heads did not approach to baldness. 
In manufactures they seemed quite apt. They had two kinds of 
mats, the one about four feet square for sleeping, the other for clothing: 
they evinced some ingenuity in these, as well as in their fish-hooks, 
which were made of bone, shark’s teeth, and shell ,* many of these were 
small and remarkably neat. They also had saws and files, formed 
of shark’s skin stretched on sticks, which in their hands were quite 
