120 



porter's journal* 



sometimes the head is shaved, and they occasionally have 

 their head entirely shaved, except one lock on the crown, 

 which is worn loose or put up in a knot. But this latter 

 inode of wearing the hair is only adopted by them when 

 they have a solemn vow, as to revenge the death of some 

 near relation, &lc. In such case the lock is never cut off 

 until they have fulfilled their promise. Besides the shark's 

 tooth and iron hoop razors, they make use of a brand of 

 fire to singe off, and shells as tweezers to pluck out ther 

 beard and hair on different parts of the body. 



Tattooing is performed by means of a machine made of 

 bone, something like a comb, with the teeth only on one 

 side. The points of the teeth are rubbed with a black paint 

 made of burnt cocoa-nut shell ground to powder, and mix- 

 ed with water. This is struck into the flesh by means of a 

 heavy piece of wood, which serves the purpose of a ham- 

 mer. The operation is extremely painful, and streams of 

 blood follow every blow, yet pride induces them to bear 

 this torture, and they even suffer themselves to be tied 

 down while it is performing, in order that their agony may 

 not interrupt the operator. The men commence tattoo- 

 ing as soon as they are able to bear the pain ; generally at 

 the age of eighteen or nineteen, and are rarely complete- 

 ly tattooed until they arrive at the age of thirty-five. The 

 women begin about the same age ; but have only their 

 legs, arms, and hands tattooed, which is done with extraor- 

 dinary neatness and delicacy. Some slight lines are drawn 

 across their lips. It is also the practice with some to have 

 the inside of their lips tattooed, but the object of this orna- 

 ment I could never find out, as it is never seen unless they 

 turn out their lips to show it. Every tribe in the island, 

 I observed, was tattooed after a different fashion, and I was 

 informed that every hne had its meaning, and gave to the 

 bearer certain privileges at their feasts. This practice of 

 tattooing sometimes occasions sores which fester and are 

 several weeks before they heal ; it however never produ- 

 ces any serious consequences, or leaves any scars behind. 



Fleurie%i, in his account of the Marquesas, says that the 

 men are in the habit of tying a ligature around the extre- 

 mity of a certain part of the body, which proves that they 

 are not subject to circumcision. The same is done, as I 

 before observed, at the Island of Ooahoogah. and it is also 



