PORTER'S JOURNAL. 
27 
English sow; this being, as I was informed, the most acceptable 
present I could make him, (excepting only a whale's tooth) as 
they are particularly desirous of improving the breed of that 
animal. 
Soon after I had 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 I had ar¬ 
rived, many of them highly ornamented with plumes, formed of 
the feathers of cocks and man-of-war birds, and with the long tail 
feathers of the tropic bird; large tufts of hair were tied around 
their waists, their ancles, and their loins: a cloak, sometimes of 
red cloth, but more frequently 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 5 
teeth, ivory, or a kind of soft and light wood, whitened with chalk; 
from their neck suspended a whale’s 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. This is a faithful picture of a 
warrior, and of the chief of such warriors I had formed an exalt¬ 
ed opinion; but what was my astonishment when Gattanewa pre¬ 
sented himself; an infirm old man of seventy years of age, desti¬ 
tute 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 ne¬ 
gro's, from the quantity of tattooing, 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) with which he 
had indulged himself. Such was the figure that Gattanewa pre¬ 
sented; and as he had drank freely of the kava before he made 
his visit, he appeared to be perfectly stupid. After he had been 
a. short time on deck, I endeavoured to impress him with a high 
opinion of our force; and for this purpose assembled all my crew: 
it scarcely seemed to excite his attention. I then caused a gun to 
VOL. II, E 
