NEW CALEDONIANS. 105 
Yet, if we may believe M. Vaillaiit, they have no conception of fufiife 
existence, or rewards and punishments ; and they have neither worshijpji 
sacrifices, ceremonies, nor priests.” 
Iniiabitants, Customs, &c., of New Caledonia, an Island 
IN THE South Sea. 
The inhabitants are in general very tail, stout, and well propor- 
tioned ; their features mild ; their beards and hair black, and strongly 
frizzled, so as to be somewhat woolly; in some individuals their colour 
is a dark chestnut brown. A few measured six feet four inches. 
They are remarkably courteous, not at all addicted to pilfering ; in 
which feature of character they are singular, all the other nations 
in the South Sea being remarkably thievish; Some wear their hair 
long, and tie it up to the crown of their heads ; others suffer only a 
large lock to grow on each side, which they tie up in clubs; many 
others, as well as the women, wear it cropt short. They all use a 
kind of comb made of sticks of hard wood, from seven to ten inches 
long, and about the thickness of knitting-needles. These combs 
they also wear in their hair on one side of the head. Some have a 
kind of concave cylindrical stiff black cap, which appears to be a 
great ornament among them, and was supposed to be worn only 
by the chiefs and warriors. The men go naked ; only tying a string 
round their middle, and another round their neck. A little piece of 
brown cloth, made of the bark of a fig-tree, sometimes tucked up to 
the belt, and sometimes pendulous, scarcely deserves the name of a 
covering, nor indeed does it seem intended for it. This piece of 
cloth is sometimes of such a length, that the extremity is fastened to 
the string round the neck; to this string they sometimes hang small 
round beads, of a pale nephritic stone. They had also coarse gar- 
ments made of a sort of Enatting ; but they seemed never to wear 
them, except in their canoes, and unemployed. 
The women seemed to be in a servile state ; they w'^ere the only 
persons who had any employment, aiid several of them brought 
bundles of slicks and fuel on their backs ; those who had children 
carried them on their backs in a kind of satchel. The women also 
dig up the earth, to plant it. They are in general of a dark chest- 
nut, but sometimes of a mahogany brown ; their stature middle-sized, 
though some are tall, and their w hole form stout, and somewhat clumsy. 
Their dress is a short petticoat or fringe, consisting of filaments or little 
cords, about eight inches long, fastened to a very long string, which 
they tie several times round their waist. These filaments lie above 
each other in several layers all round the body, but do not near cover 
the thigh ; they were sometimes dyed black, but frequently of a dirty 
gray. There was not a single instance, during the ship’s stay at this 
island, of the women permitting any indecent familiarities with an 
European. The general ornaments of both sexes are ear-rings, neck- 
laces, amulets, and bracelets made of shells, stones, &c. Notwith- 
standing the inoffensive disposition of the inhabitants of New Cale- 
donia, they were all prqvided with offensive weapons, as clubs, 
spears, darts, and slings. Their clubs are about two and a half 
2 A 
