THE PELEW ISLANDS. 
3*9 
Mr. H. Wilson, before his departure, as a prefect for his 
filler. 
Both men and women were tatooed, or, as they call it, 
melgothed ; this operation took place, as our people con¬ 
ceived, at a certain period of youth, they having never feen 
any children of either fex marked by it.— The men had 
their left ear bored, and the women both; a few of the firft 
wore beads in the perforated ear, the latter put either fome 
leaf through, or an ear-ring of tortoife-fhell inlaid. The 
cartilage between the noftrils was alfo bored, in both fexes, 
through which they frequently put a little fprig or blof- 
fom of fome plant or fhrub that accidentally caught their 
fancy 
When the men and women grew up, their teeth were black¬ 
ed ; this was done by the means of fome dye; our people, 
whilft they rernained at Pelew, had no opportunity of feeing 
how the effect was produced, underftanding only it was an 
operation that was both tedious and painful; but it was af¬ 
terwards fully explained by Lee Boo to Captain Wilson, 
on his paffage to England .—At Saint Helena, Lee Boo 
appeared much delighted at finding fome groundfel, and 
chewing it, rubbed his teeth with it.—Captain Wilson 
telling him it was not good to eat, he gave him to underhand 
* Perhaps it is owing to the defire of having the fcent of flower?, without the incon¬ 
venience of holding them, that the Eaflern people bore the cartilage between the noftriisi 
The common people in Italy alfo wear fweet-fmelling flowers ftuck behind the ear, in 
fuch a manner as to fall on the face, that they may enjoy their fragrance when working 
or walking. 
that 
