PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
6 $ 
w dress of the women is handsome and far from being im~ 
modest; it has already been in part described, but a more minute 
description n\ay not be unsatifactory. It consists of three parts 
only: The head-dress, the robe, and the part worn as the petticoat: 
the first is called fiahhee , the second cahu , and the third ahuwahee. 
The fiahhee 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 spiders* 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 resemblance 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 
envelops the body extending to the ankles, and has its upper cor¬ 
ners tastily knotted on one shoulder, having frequently the whole of 
the opposite arm and part and sometimes the whole of the breast 
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 concealing and at others exposing 
most of their charms; sometimes the knot is brought in front, when 
the whole of both breasts is exposed to view; at other times it is 
thrown behind to display a well-formed back and shoulders, or 
a slender waist. 
The ahuwakefi is apiece of cloth which passes twice round the 
waist and hangs down to the calves of the legs performing the 
part of a petticoat to conceal the only part they are ashamed of 
exposing. The whole of this dress being white, and generally 
kept clean and neat, gives to these female islanders an ap¬ 
pearance of grace and modesty not to be found among any others 
in a state of nature. Their ornaments consist of beads strung 
round their necks, and circular pieces of ivory or whales’ teeth 
attached to their ears; they have also another species of ornament 
tastily formed of a dark kind of wood*, which receives a high po* 
lish; it is fashioned something in the form of the letter Z, has 
its ends tipped with the mother of pearl, and is otherwise ornament* 
ed with beads and small teeth. They also wear occasionally 
round their necks a small wild cucumber, which abounds on the 
island; also a large redj?erry, which grows on a tree and resem- 
