XVIII 
TAHITIANS 
43 i 
was like the trunk of a noble tree embraced by a delicate 
creeper. 
Many of the elder people had their feet covered with small 
figures, so placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, 
is partly gone by, and has been succeeded by others. Here, 
although fashion is far from immutable, every one must abide 
by that prevailing in his youth. An old man has thus his age 
for ever stamped on his body, and he cannot assume the airs of 
a young dandy. The women are tattooed in the same manner 
as the men, and very commonly on their fingers. One 
unbecoming fashion is now almost universal: namely, shaving 
the hair from the upper part of the head, in a circular form, so 
as to leave only an outer ring. The missionaries have tried to 
persuade the people to change this habit; but it is the fashion, 
and that is a sufficient answer at Tahiti, as well as at Paris. 
I was much disappointed in the personal appearance of the 
women ; they are far inferior in every respect to the men. 
The custom of wearing a white or scarlet flower in the back of 
the head, or through a small hole in each ear, is pretty. A 
crown of woven cocoa-nut leaves is also worn as a shade for the 
eyes. The women appear to be in greater want of some 
becoming costume even than the men. 
Nearly all the natives understand a little English—that is, 
they know the names of common things ; and by the aid of 
this, together with signs, a lame sort of conversation could be 
carried on. In returning in the evening to the boat, we 
stopped to witness a very pretty scene. Numbers of children 
were playing on the beach, and had lighted bonfires which 
illumined the placid sea and surrounding trees ; others, in 
circles, were singing Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on 
the sand, and joined their party. The songs were impromptu, 
and I believe related to our arrival : one little girl sang a line, 
which the rest took up in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. 
The whole scene made us unequivocally aware that we were 
seated on the shores of an island in the far-famed South Sea. 
1 yth .—This day is reckoned in the log-book as Tuesday 
the 17th, instead of Monday the 16th, owing to our, so far, 
successful chase of the sun. Before breakfast the ship was 
hemmed in by a flotilla of canoes ; and when the natives were 
allowed to come on board, I suppose there could not have 
