porter's journal. 



61 



affection which husbands and wives have shown for each 

 other, and the tender care they at all times bestow on their 

 offspring ; they appeared actuated by one interest, and 

 both took equal pleasure in fondling their infants. But 

 the girls, from twelve to eighteen years of age, rove at 

 will ; this period of their lives is a period of unbounded 

 pleasure, unrestrained in all their actions, onconfined by 

 domestic occupations, their time is spent in dancing, sing- 

 ing, and ornamenting their persons to render themselves 

 more attractive in the eyes of man, on whom they indis- 

 criminately bestow their favours, unrestrained by shatne 

 or fear of the consequences. That terrible disease w^hich 

 has proved so destructive to mankind, is unknown to them^ 

 and they give free scope to the indulgence of their pas- 

 sions, living in the most pleasurable licentiousness. 



The dress of the women is handsome, and far from being 

 immodest ; it has already been in part described, but a more 

 minute description may not be unsatisfactory. It consists 

 of three parts only : The head-dress, the robe, and the 

 part worn as the petticoat : the first is called pahhee, the 

 isecond cahu, and the third ahuwahee. The pahhee consists 

 of a remarkably fine and white piece of paper cloth, of 

 open texture, and much resembling a species of fine gause, 

 called by us spider's web ; this is put on in a very neat 

 and tasty manner, and greatly resembles a close cap. 

 The hair is put up gracefully in a knot behind, and the 

 head, when dressed in this manner, bears no slight resem- 

 blance to the prevailing fashion of the present day in 

 America. The cahu consists of a long and flowing piece 

 of paper-cloth, of a close and strong texture, which enve- 

 lops the body, extending to the ankles, and has its upper 

 corners tastily knotted on one shoulder, having frequently 

 the whole of the opposite arm, and part, and sometimes the 

 whole, of thebreast exposed. They display many graces 

 in the use of this part of the dress, sporting the knot 

 sometimes on one shoulder, and sometimes on the other, 

 at times carefully conceahng, and at others exposing their 

 charms. Sometimes the knot is brought in front, when 

 the whole bosom is exposed to view ; at other times it is 

 thrown behind, to display a well-formed back and shoul- 

 •ders, or a slender waist. 



The ahuwakee is a piece of cloth which passes twice 



