SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
6 & 
which is hung about the neck by fine threads of twisted 
hair, doubled sometimes a hundred fold. Instead of this 
ornament, some of them wear on their breasts a small human 
figure, made of bone, suspended in the same manner. The 
fan, or fly-trap, is also an ornament used by both sexes: the 
most ordinary kinds are made of the fibres of the cocoa-nut, 
tied loose in bunches to the top of a smooth polished handle: 
the tail feathers of the cock, and of the tropic bird, are also 
used in the same manner; but the most valuable are those 
which have the handle made of the arm or leg bones of an 
enemy slain in battle, and which are preserved with great 
care, and handed down from father to son, as trophies of in¬ 
estimable valuable. The custom of tattooing the body they 
have in common with the rest of the natives of the South Sea 
islands; but it is only at New Zealand and the Sandwich 
islands that they tattoo the face. There is also this difference 
between the two last, that in the former it is done in elegant 
spiral volutes, and in the latter in straight lines, crossing each 
other at right angles. The hands and arms of the women 
are also very neatly marked ; and they have a singular cus¬ 
tom amongst them, that of tattooing the tip of the tongues 
of the females. The dress of the men generally consists only 
of a piece of thick cloth, called the maro, ten or twelve 
inches broad, which they pass between the legs, and tie 
round the waist. This is the common dress of all ranks of 
people. Their mats, some of which are beautifully manu¬ 
factured, are of various sizes, but mostly about five feet long, 
and four broad. These they throw over their shoulders, and 
bring forward before; but they are seldom used, except in 
time of war, for which purpose they seem better adapted than 
for ordinary use, being of a thick and cumbersome texture, 
and capable of breaking the blow of a stone, or any blunt 
weapon. Their feet are generally bare, except when they 
have occasion to travel over the stones, when they secure 
them with a sort of sandal, made of cords twisted from the 
fibres of the cocoa-nut. Such is the ordinary dress of these 
islanders; but they have another, appropriated to their chiefs, 
and used on ceremonious occasions, consisting of a feathered 
cloak and helmet, which, in point of beauty and magnifi¬ 
cence, is, perhaps, nearly equal to that of any nation in the 
world. These feathered dresses seemed to be exceedingly 
scarce, appropriated to persons of the highest rank, and 
worn by the men only. The common dress of the women 
bears a close resemblance to that of the men. They wrap 
round the waist a piece of cloth, that reaches half way down 
the thigh; and sometimes in the cold of the evening they 
appeared with loose pieces of fine cloth, wrapped several 
times round the waist, and descending to the leg, so as to 
have exactly the appearance of a full short petticoat. The 
hair is cut short behind, and turned up before, as is the fashion 
of the Otaheiteans and New Zealanders. The food of the 
lower class of people consists principally of fish and vegeta¬ 
bles, such as yams, sweet potatoes, plantains, sugar- 
canes, and bread. To these, the people of a higher rank 
add the flesh of hogs and dogs, dressed in the same manner 
as at the Society islands. They also eat fowls of the same 
domestic kinds with ours; but they are neither plentiful, nor 
much esteemed by them. The way of spending their time 
appears to be very simple, and to admit of little .variety. 
They rise with the sun, and after enjoying the cool of the 
evening, retire to rest a few hours after sun-set. The making 
of canoes and mats forms the occupation of the erees; the 
women areemploved in manufacturing cloth; and thetowtows 
are principally engaged in the plantations and fishing. Their 
idle hours are filled up with various amusements. Their 
young men and women are fond of dancing ; and, on more 
solemn occasions, they have boxing and wrestling matches. 
Their music is also of a rude kind, having neither flutes 
nor reeds, nor instruments of any other sort, except drums 
of various sizes. The following description is from Ellis’s 
Tour:—“ The musicians, seven in number, seated them¬ 
selves on the sand ; a curiously carved drum, made by hol¬ 
lowing out a solid piece of wood, and covering the top with 
Shark’s skin, was placed before each, which they beat with 
the palm or fingers of their right hand. A neat little drum 
made of the shell of a large cocoa nut, was also fixed on the 
knee, by the side of the large drum, and beat all the while 
with a small stick held in the left hand. When the musi¬ 
cians had arranged themselves in a line across the beach, and 
a bustling man, who appeared to be master of the ceremonies, 
had, with a large branch of cocoa-nut tree, cleared a circle 
of considerable extent, two interesting little children (a boy 
and a girl), apparently about nine years of age, came for¬ 
ward, habited in the dancing costume of the country, with 
garlands of flowers on their heads, wreaths around their necks 
bracelets on their wrists, and buskins on their ancles. When 
they had reached the centre of the ring, they commenced 
their dance to the music of the drams; cantilating all the 
while, alternately with the musicians, a song in honour of 
some ancient chief.” Their songs, which they sung in parts, 
and accompanied with gentle motion of the arms, in the same 
manner as the Friendly islanders, had a very pleasing effect. 
—It is very remarkable, that the people of these islands are 
great gamblers. They have a game very much like our 
draughts; but if we may judge from the number of squares, it 
is much more intricate: it is called konane. The konane board 
is generally two feet long, and contains upwards of two hun¬ 
dred squares, usually fourteen in a row. It is a favourite 
amusement with the old men ; and Mr. Ellis has known one 
game, commenced early in the morning, hardly concluded 
on the same day. Their cloth is made of the same materials, 
and in the same manner, as at the Friendly and Society 
islands. Their fishing-hooks are made of mother-of-pearl, 
bone, or wood, pointed and barbed with small bones, or 
tortoise-shell. They are of various sizes and forms; but the 
most common are about two or three inches long, and made 
in the shape of a small fish, which serves as a bait, having a 
bunch of leathers tied to the head or tail. Those with which 
they fish for sharks are of a very large size, being generally 
six or eight inches long. Their instruments of war are 
spears, daggers called pahooas, clubs and slings. The peo¬ 
ple of these islands are manifestly divided into three classes: 
the first are th zerees, or the chiefs of each district; one of 
whom is superior to the rest, and is called at Owhyhee, eree- 
taboo, eree-moee ; the second class are those who appear to 
enjoy a right of property, without authority ; the third are 
the towtoxvs, or servants, who have neither rank nor pro¬ 
perty. It is pretty clear that the government is hereditary ; 
which also makes it very probable, that the inferior titles 
and property itself descend in the same course. The reli¬ 
gion of these people resembles, in most of its principal fea¬ 
tures, that of the Society and Friendly islands. Their mo¬ 
rals, their whattas, their idols, their sacrifices, and their sacred 
songs, all of which they have in common with each other, 
are convincing proofs, that their religious notions are derived 
from the same source. 
The Sandwich Islands were thrice visited by Vancouver, 
in 1792, 1793, and 1794, who maintained the most friendly 
intercourse with the natives, was frequently on shore amongst 
them, and was, besides, on the best terms with Tamaahmah, 
one of their most powerful princes. He agrees with Cook 
in the superiority of the Sandwich islanders' to the Otahei¬ 
teans, in agriculture and in manufactures. Their anxiety to 
learn the European arts and manufactures is extreme, and 
they generally let no opportunity pass for procuring instruc¬ 
tion. In the course of their excursions through some of the 
islands, Vancouver and those who accompanied him, were as¬ 
tonished at the ingenious and laborious cultivation which they 
observed. It is remarked by Vancouver, in one of his excur¬ 
sions—“ We found the land in a high state of cultivation, 
mostly under immediate crops of taro, and abounding with 
a variety of wild fowl, chiefly of the duck kind, some of 
which our sportsmen shot, and they were very fine eating. 
The sides of the hills, which were at some distance, seemed 
rocky and barren ; the intermediate valleys, which were all 
inhabited, produced some large trees, and made a pleasing 
appearance. The plains, however, if we may judge from 
the labour bestowed on their cultivation, seem to afford the 
principal proportion of the different vegetable productions on 
which the inhabitants depend for their subsistence. The 
