Aug.] 



THE NATIVES. 



425 



and a dark sparkling eye, expressive of tenderness and affection. They 

 have round luxuriant chests, slender waists, small hands and feet, 

 straight legs, and small ankles. In short, they seem to be, in every 

 respect, admirably " fitted for the tender offices of love ;" and, setting 

 aside our innate prejudice to certain complexions, their personal charms 

 are of very superior order. They do not, however, neglect the " for- 

 eign aid of ornament ;" but deck themselves with the richest feathers 

 and shells they can obtain, through parental and fraternal affection, or 

 die gallantry of lovers or husbands. Around their head and neck they 

 wear many kinds of ornaments, made of the spoils of birds and fishes ; 

 their arms and legs are also decorated in a similar manner, while their 

 breasts are tastefully but very lightly tattooed. They likewise wear a 

 small apron, eight inches wide, and twelve inches long, which they in- 

 geniously ornament around the edges in a very pretty manner, with a dia- 

 mond worked in the centre, of little choice shells. Over all they wear 

 a cloak or mantle, made of .a fine silky grass, woven with great skill 

 and neatness, some of which are tastefully bordered and fringed. This 

 garment is about eight feet in length, and six feet wide, with a hole in 

 the middle just large enough to admit the head ; and when worn, it 

 much resembles the South American poncho. 



The duties and avocations of the females consist in making all the 

 clothing, fishing-lines, and nets ; cooking the food, and taking care of 

 the children; which latter task they perform with exemplary care, 

 attention, and tenderness.- They are very kind and affectionate to 

 their husbands ; and the latter in return treat their wives with a delicacy 

 and respect that might put some Christians to the blush. In short, they 

 are promising subjects for the operations of judicious missionaries, who 

 attach more importance to practical than to theoretical religion. 



The two westernmost islands, as I have said, are peopled by about 

 fifteen thousand copper-coloured Indians, who are somewhat less in 

 stature than the negro tribe I have just attempted to describe. The 

 men are generally only about five feet eight inches in height ; but 

 they are stouter, stronger, more athletic, and better calculated for war, 

 and enduring hardships, than the darker skinned tribe just alluded to. 

 They are very active, and remarkably strong. I have seen several of 

 them, who would not weigh more than one hundred and fifty pounds 

 each, lift our small bower anchor, weighing upwards of six hundred, 

 with apparently as much ease as I could lift a hundred weight ; and yet 

 they live entirely on fruit and fish, without stimulants of any descrip- 

 tion. They have straight round bodies, with full chests, muscular 

 limbs, and well-formed hands and feet. 



Their complexion is a very light copper-colour ; their hair black and 

 long, and generally neatly " done up" on the top of the head. They 

 have high prominent foreheads, indicative of intellectual capabilities, 

 at the lower edge of which, especially with the females, are a pair of 

 long jet-black silken eyelashes, with more than what we would consider 

 a usual curve. These are merely the drapery or window-curtains under 

 which the soul peeps out from her palace, through the crystal medium 

 of a pair of bright penetrating black eyes. Their faces are round, 

 plump, and full ; the cheek-bones not being so high as is usual with 



