66 
ITs^IIABlTAKTS OF ATOOI. 
then solely by the public crier ; but he first sold the most beautiful 
one. When he had sold her at an immense price, he put up others 
to sale, according to their degrees of beauty. The rich Babylonians 
were emulous to carry off the finest women, who were sold to the 
highest bidders. But as the young men who w'ere poor could not 
aspire to have fine women, they were content to take the less hand- 
some with the money w'hich was given them ; for when the crier had 
sold the handsomest, he ordered the ugliest of all the women to be 
brought, and asked if any one was willing to take her wdth a small 
sum of money. Thus she became the wife of him who w'as most easily 
satisfied ; and thus the finest women were sold, and from the money 
which they sold for, small fortunes were given to the ugliest, and 
to those who had any bodily intirmity. A father could not give his 
daughter in marriage as he pleased ; nor was he who bought her 
allow'ed to take her home, without giving security that he w^ould marry 
her. But, after the sale, if the parties were not agreeable to each 
other, the law enjoined that the money should be restored. The 
inhabitants of any of their tow ns w^ere allow ed to marry w ives at those 
auctions. Such were the early customs of the Babylonians. But 
they afterwards made a law, which prohibited the inhabitants to inter- 
marry, by which husbands were punished for treating their wives ill. 
Inhabitants of Atooi. 
Atooi is one of the Sandwich islands. The natives of this island 
are of the middle size, and in general stoutly made. They are neither 
remarkable for a beautiful shape nor for striking features. Their 
visage, particularly that of the women, is sometimes round, but others 
have it long; nor can it justly be said that they are distinguished as 
a nation by any general cast of countenance. Their complexion is 
nearly of a nut-brown, but some individuals are of a darker hue. They 
are far from being ugly, and have to all appearance' few natural 
deformities of any kind. Their skin is not very soft nor shining ; but 
their eyes and teeth are for the most part pretty good. Their hair 
in general is straight ; and though its natural colour is usually black, 
they stain it, as at the Friendly and other islands. They are active, 
vigorous, and most expert swimmers, leaving their canoes upon the 
most frivolous occasions, diving under them, and swimming to others, 
though at a considerable distance. Women with infants at the breast, 
when the surf w'as so high as to prevent their landing in the canoes, 
frequently leapt overboard and swam to the shore, without endanger- 
ing their little ones. They appear to be of a frank cheerful disposition, 
and are equally free from the fickle levity which characterizes the 
inhabitants of Otaheite, and the sedate cast which is observable among 
many of those of Tongataboo. They seem to cultivate a sociable 
intercourse with each other; and, except the propensity to thieving, 
which is as it were innate in most of the people in those seas, they 
appeared extremely friendly. 
It was pleasing to observe with what affection the women managed 
their infaats, and with what alacrity the men contributed their assist- 
ance in such a tender office ; thus distinguishing themselves from 
