THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
131 
thefe ladies were probably all of the lower clafs of the 
people ; for I am ftrongly inclined to believe, that, except¬ 
ing the few, whofe names are mentioned in the conrfe of 
our narrative, we did not fee any woman of rank during 
our ftay amongft them. 
Their natural capacity feems, in no refpedt, below the 
common ftandard of mankind. Their improvements in 
agriculture, and the perfection of their manufactures, are 
certainly adequate to the circumftances of their fituation, 
and the natural advantages they enjoy. The eager curio- 
fity, with which they attended the armourer’s forge, and 
the many expedients they had invented, even before we 
left the iilands, for working the iron they had procured 
from us, into fuch forms as were belt adapted to their pur- 
pofes, were ftrong proofs of docility and ingenuity. 
Our unfortunate friend, Kaneena, poflefted a degree of 
judicious curiofity, and a quicknefs of conception, which 
was rarely met with amongft thefe people. He was very 
inquifitive after our cuftoms and manners; afked after our 
King; the nature of our government; our numbers ; the 
method of building our Ihips ; our houfes; the produce of 
our country; whether we had wars ; with whom; and on 
what occafions; and in What manner they were carried on ; 
who was our God; and many other queftions of the fame 
nature, which indicated an underftanding of great compre- 
henfton. 
We met with two inftances of perfons difordered in their 
minds, the one a man at Owhyhee, the other a woman at 
Oneeheow. It appeared, from the particular attention and 
refpedt paid to them, that the opinion of their being in- 
fpired by the Divinity, which obtains among moft of the 
nations of the Eaft, is alfo received here. 
S 2 
Though 
