Their expression uf 

 countenance. 



CUSTOMS OF THE FEEJEE GROUP. 



51 arte of dreeing iheir 

 hair. 



2U3 



useful arts, they are, in many resperts. the limnr 

 barbarous and savage race now existing QMI lb« 

 globe. Tlu* intercourse they have had with white? 

 men lias produced some effect on their political 

 condition, hut docs not appear to hnve luid the 

 least influence in mitigating the barbarous ferocity 

 of their character. In tins group, therefore, may 

 be seen the savage in his state of nature; and a 

 comparison of his ehurnrtcr with that of the na- 

 tives of the group* io w hich the Gospel has been 

 profitably preached, will enable onr renders to 

 form n better estimate of the value of missionary 

 labours than can welt be acquired in any other 

 manner. 



Tli" l-'eejocans are i:e». rally above the middle 

 height, ami exhibit a great variety of figure. 

 Among them the chiefs are trill, well-made, and 

 muscular; while the lower order* manifest the 

 meagreness arising from laborious Her vice and 

 scanty nourishment. Their complexion lies, in 

 general, between that of the black and copper- 

 coloured races, although instances of both extremes 

 are he met with, thus indicating a descent from 

 two different stocks. One of these, the copper- 

 coloured, is no doubt the same as that whence the 

 Tnngese are derived. 



None of them equal the natives of Tonga in 

 beauty of person. The faces of tho greater num- 

 ber are long, %\itl> a large mouth, good and well-set 

 teeth, and a well-formed nose, instances, however, 

 are by no means rare, of narrow and high fore- 

 heads tint um.«. and thick lips, with a I. read short 

 chin; still (hey have nothing about them of the 

 u gro type. Even the frizzled appearance of the 

 hair, wiiich is aluiost universal, ami which at first 

 sight seems a distinct natural characteristic, I was, 

 after a long acquaintance with their habits, inclined 

 to ascribe to nriitieinL causes. Hesides the long 

 bushy beards and mustaches, which arc always 

 worn by the chiefo, they have a great quantity of 

 hair on their bodies. This, with the peculiar pro- 

 portion between their thighs and the calves of 

 their legs, brings them nearer to the whites than 

 any of the Polynesian races visited by us. 



The eyes of the l eejuans are usually fine, being 

 black and penetrating. Some, however, have them 

 red ami bloodshot, w hich may probably be ascribed 

 to ava drinking. 



The expression of their countenances is usually 

 restless and watchful ; they arc observing and 

 quick in their movements. 



The hair of the boys is cropped close, while that 

 of the young girls is allowed to grow. In the 

 latter il is to be seen naturally arranged in tight 

 cork->crew locks, many inches in length, which fall 

 in all directions from tint crown of the head. The 

 natural colour of the hair of the girls can hardly 

 be ascertained, for they are in the habit of acting 

 upon it by lime and pigments, which make it white, 

 red, brown, or black, according to the taste of the 

 individual. 



When tho boys grow tip, their hair is no longer 

 cropped, and great pains is taken to spread it out 

 into a mop- liko form. Tho chiefs, in particular, 

 pay great attention to the dressing of their heads, 

 anil for this purpose all of them have barbers, 

 whose sole occupation is the care of iheir masters' 

 heads. The duty of these functionaries is held to 

 be of so sacred a nature, that their hands are 

 tabooed from all other employment, and they are 



not even permitted to feed themselves". To dress 

 the hrnd of a chief occupies several hours, and ihe 

 hair is made to spread out from the bead, on every 

 hide, to a distance that is often eight inches. The 

 heard, which is also carefully nursed, often reaches 

 the breast, rmtl when a Foejecan has these im- 

 portant parts of his jierann well dressed, he ex- 

 hibits a degree of conceit that is not a little 

 amusing. 



In the process of dressing tho hnir, it is well 

 anointed with oil, mixed with a carbonaceous black, 

 until it is oomph teh saturatedt. The barber then 

 takes the hair-pin. which is a long and slender rod, 

 made of tortoise-shell or bone, ami proceeds to 

 twitch almost every separate hair, This causes it 

 to frizzle and stand erect. The bush of hair is 

 then trimmed smooth, by singeing it, until it has 

 the appearance of an immense wig. When this 

 has been finished, a piece of tapa, so fine as to 

 resemble tissue-paper, is wound in light folds 

 around it, to protect the hair from dew or dust. 

 This covering, which has tho look of a turban, is 



called sala.auil » but chiefs are allowed to wear 



it; any attempt to assume this head-dress by a kai- 

 si, or common person, would be immediately pun- 

 ished with death. The sain, w hen taken care of, 

 will last, three weeks or a mouth, and the hair is 

 not dressed except when it is removed; but the 

 high chiefs and dandies seldom allow a day to pass 

 without changing tho sala, and having their hair 

 put in order. 



The Feejeeans are extremely changeable in 

 their disposition. They are fond of joking, indulge 

 in laughter, and will at one moment appear to give 

 themselves up to merriment, from which they in 

 an instant pass to demon-like auger, which they 

 evince by looks which ramiot be misunderstood by 

 those who arc the subjects of it, and particularly if 

 in tho power of the enraged native. Their anger 

 seldom tiruls vent in words, but has the character 

 of suilcniiess, A chief, when offended, seldom 

 speaks a word, but puts slicks in the ground, to 

 keep the cause of his anger constantly in his recol- 

 lection. Tho objects of it now understand that it 

 is time to appease him by propitiatory offerings, if 

 they would avoid tin- bad consequences. When these 

 have been tendered to t he satisfaction of tho offended 

 dignitary, he pulls up the sticks as a signal that lie 

 is pacified. 



According to Whippy, who had an excellent 

 opportunity of judging, the I ' , jeeans are addicted 

 to stealing, are treacherous in the extreme, and, 

 with all their ferocity, cowards. The most univer- 

 sal trait of their character is their inclination to 

 lying. They tell a falsehood in preference, when 

 the truth would better answer iheir purpose; and 

 in conversing with them, the truth can be only 

 obtained by cautioning them not to talk like a 

 Feejee man, or, in other words, not to tell any 

 lies. 



Adroit lying is regarded as an Accomplishment, 

 and one who is expert at it is sure of a comfortable 

 subsistence and a friendly reception w herever he 

 goes. Their own weakness in this respect does not 

 render them suspicious, and nothing but what is 



• These barber* are called n-vu-nl-uUi. They we attached 

 tn the huuschuld uf the chiefs hi number* of frntn two to a 

 down. 



t The oil is procured by scraping and squeezing a nut 

 railed maiketu i the biack. Is prepared from Ihe land! n»<f- 



