Porter's Voyage 



(excepting only a whale's tooth) as they are particularly desirous 

 of improving .the breed of that animal. Soon after I sent my 

 present on shore, Gattanewa came on board in a boat, which I 

 had sent for him, accompanied by Mr. Maury. I had seen 

 several of their warriors since my arrival, many of them highly 

 ornamented with plumes, formed of the feathers of cocks and man- 

 of-war birds, and the long tail feathers of the tropic bird ; large 

 tufts of hair were tied round their waists, their ancles, and their 

 loins. They wore a cloak, sometimes of red cloth, but more fre- 

 quently of a white paper cloth', formed of the bark of a tree, 

 thrown not inelegantly over the shoulders, with large round or 

 oval ornaments in their ears, formed of whales'" teeth, ivory, or a 

 kind of soft and hght wood, whitened with chalk. From their 

 neck suspended a whales' tooth, or highly polished shell, and 

 round their loins several turns of the stronger kind of paper-cloth, 

 the end of which hangs before in the manner of an apron. This, 

 with a black and highly polished spear of about twelve feet in 

 length, or a club richly carved, and borne on the shoulders, con- 

 stitutes the dress and equipment of a native warrior, whose body 

 is highly and elegantly ornamented by tattooing, executed in a 

 manner to excite our admiration. What was my astonishment 

 when Gattanewa presented himself ; an infirm old man of seventy 

 years of age, destitute of every covering or ornament except a 

 clout about his loins, and a piece of palm leaf tied about his 

 head ; a long stick seemed to assist him in walking ; his face 

 and body were as black as a negro's, from the quantity of tat- 

 tooing, which entirely covered them, and his skin was rough, and 

 appeared to be peeling off in scales, from the quantity of kava (an 

 intoxicating root) in which he had indulged himself. Such was 

 the figure that Gattanewa presented ; and as he had drank freely 

 of the kava before he made his visit, he appeared to be perfectly 

 stupid. He, previous to his departure, requested me to assist 

 him in his war with the Happahs. I told him I should not en- 

 gage in any hostilities, unless the Happahs came into the valley ; 

 in which case I should protect him and his people. 



Next morning he sent me a present, consisting of hogs and 

 several boat loads of cocoa nuts and plantains, which were distri- 

 buted among the crews of the different vessels. I now unbent 

 my sails, and sent them on shore, and landed my water-casks, 

 with which I formed a complete enclosure, sufficiently spacious to 

 answer all our purposes. The ship was hauled close in with the 

 beach, and we began in good earnest to make our repairs. A tent 

 was pitched within the enclosure, and the place put under the 

 protection of a guard of marines. In the afternoon several offi- 

 cers went on shore to visit the villages, when I perceived a large 

 body of the Happahs descending from the mountains into me 



