136 
PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
with slight variations, have the same religion and customs, use 
the same arms and ornaments, and are disseminated among the in¬ 
numerable islands scattered about the Pacific Ocean. A Nooa- 
heevan, a Sandwich islander, an Otaheitan, and a New Zeal¬ 
ander are all of the same nation, and their language and appear¬ 
ance do not differ so much as those of the people of the different 
counties of England. 
The natives of Nooaheevah are more beautiful in their pro¬ 
portions than either. I have had those of the three other places 
on board my ship, and in point of beauty and intelligence of coun¬ 
tenance they bear no comparison. The Sandwich Islander, the 
Otaheitan, and the New Zealander, had long resided among white 
men; they had fallen into their vices and indulged in the same food; 
they were no longer in a state of nature; they had, iike us, became 
corrupt, and wiiile the honest guileless face of the Nooaheevan 
shone with benevolence, good nature, and intelligence, the down 
cast eye and sullen looks of the others marked their inferiority 
and degeneracy: guilt, of which, from their intercourse with us, 
they had become sensible, had already marked their countenances, 
every emanation of their souls could not be perceived by their 
features, as by those of the honest naked Nooaheevan. Every 
thing attracts their attention and their interests; the emanations of 
their souls are as quick as lightning, but nothing makes on them 
a lasting impression; they are naturally kind and readily forgive 
injuries; and every good quality which may be supposed attached 
to a mind so disposed, they possess. While I am on this subject 
it may not be improper to take some notice of the traditions of 
those people, which may lead to some idea of the manner by which 
these islands became peopled: many conjectures on this subject 
have been started, some suppose they were inhabited from the 
west, but the general supposition is that the first inhabitants came 
from the east, for few are willing to admit that God created the 
human species (great and distinct as are the varieties) elsewhere 
than in Paradise. I am willing to believe that this island was not 
inhabited from the commencement of the world, because its gene¬ 
ral appearance indicates that many centuries have not elapsed 
since it was thrown out of the ocean by volcanoes: it is not less 
irregular in its surface, than the islands composing the group ©f 
