192 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. 
January. 
return, tied fome fmall mackerel to the rope, as an equi¬ 
valent. This was repeated; and fonie fmall nails, or bits 
of iron, which they valued more than any other article, 
were given them. For thefe they exchanged more filh, and 
a fweet potatoe ; a fure hgn that they had fome notion of 
bartering; or, at leaf:, of returning one prefent for another. 
They had nothing elfe in their canoes, except fome large 
gourd fhells, and a kind of fifhing-net; but one of them 
offered for fale the piece of fluff that he wore round his 
waift, after the manner of the other iflands. Thefe people 
were of a brown colour; and, though of the common fize, 
were floutly made. There was little difference in the 
calls of their colour, but a confiderable variation in their 
features; fome of their vifages not being very unlike thofe 
of Europeans. The hair of moft of them was cropt pretty 
fhort; others had it flowing loofe; and, with a few, it was 
tied in a bunch on the crown of the head. In all, it feemed 
to be naturally black; but mofl of them had flained it, as 
is the practice of the Friendly Illanders, with fome fluff 
which gave it a brown or burnt colour. In general, they 
wore their beards. They had no ornaments about their 
perfons, nor did we obferve that their ears were per¬ 
forated ; but fome were pundlured on the hands, or near 
the groin, though in a fmall degree ; and the bits of cloth, 
which they wore, were curioufly flained with red, black, 
and white colours. They feemed very mild; and had no 
arms of any kind, if we except fome fmall Hones, which 
they had evidently brought for their own defence; and 
thefe they threw overboard when they found that they 
were not wanted. 
Seeing no figns of an anchoring-place at this Eaflern 
extreme of the ifland, I bore away to leeward, and ranged 
along 
