POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
133 
several of the natives of our island sailed over to Raiatea, 
and returned v^ith very flattering accounts of the im¬ 
proved appearance of those who wore hats and bonnets. 
This induced several of the chief women^ who had at 
least one complete English dress, to desire to learn to 
make them, and ultimately to substitute the European 
bonnet for the native taumata. A visit which a number 
of chiefs and their wives, from Raiatea, paid to Huahine, 
increased their eagerness for this new article of dress— 
which, when once adopted, was never laid aside. 
The desire now became general, and was not confined 
to those who possessed other articles of foreign dress, it 
being extended even to such as had none. Thus, wear¬ 
ing a hat and bonnet was the first advance they made 
towards a more civilized appearance and dress. Our 
houses were now thronged by individuals anxious to be 
instructed 5 and so soon as Mrs. Barff or Mrs. Ellis had 
taught any of the females, these immediately taught 
the art to others 5 and those who excelled in the fineness 
of their platting, or in putting it together, were fully 
employed by the chiefs and others, and derived no small 
emolument from their new avocation. Dress-making and 
straw-bonnet making, now very profitable employments 
to a number of females, were certainly the first regular 
female occupations from civilized society introduced 
into the islands. The hats and bonnets were at 
first made with the inner bark of the slender branches 
of the purau, hibiscus tiliaceus^ or the leaves of a fine 
species of rush. The former was beautifully white 
and glossy, while the latter was of a yellow colour, 
and much more firm and durable, on which account it 
was preferred for hats. The only hats I wore in the 
islands during the subsequent years of my residence 
