THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
3 8 7 
commonly on one fide; or, it is fuffered to grow to its full 
length, without any of thefe mutilations. The women, in 
general, wear it fhort. The men have their beards cut fhort; 
and both men and women ftrip the hair from their arm- 
pits. The operation by which this is performed has been 
already defcribed. The men are ftained from about the 
middle of the belly, to about half way down the thighs, 
with a deep blue colour. This is done with a flat bone in- 
flrument, cut full of fine teeth, which, being dipped in the 
Aaining mixture, prepared from the juice of the dooe dooe , is 
ftruck into the fkin with a bit of flick; and, by that means, 
indelible marks are made. In this manner they trace lines 
and figures, which, in fome, are very elegant, both from 
the variety, and from the arrangement. The women have, 
only a few fmall lines or fpots, thus imprinted, on the infide 
of their hands. Their kings, as a mark of diftindtion, are 
exempted from this cuflom, as alfo from inflidting on 
themfelves any of thofe bloody marks of mourning, which 
fir all be mentioned in another place. 
The men are all circumcifed, or rather fupercifed; as 
the operation confifts in cutting off only a fmall piece of 
the forefkin, at the upper part; which, by that means, is 
rendered incapable, ever after, of coyering the glans. This 
is all they aim at; as they fay, the operation is pracfifed 
from a notion of cleanlinefs. 
The drefs of both men and women is the fame; and 
confifts of a piece of cloth or matting (but moftly the 
former), about two yards wide, and two and a half long; 
at leaft, fo long as to go once and a half round the waift, 
to which it is confined by a girdle or cord. It is double 
before, and hangs down, like a petticoat, as low as the 
middle of the leg. The upper part of the garment, above 
3 D % f the 
1777. 
Hr- 
