THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
229 
being little more delicate than the men, in their formation; 1778. 
and I may fay, that, with a very few exceptions, they have . Februaiy ' 
little claim to thofe peculiarities that diftinguifh the fex, in 
other countries. There is, indeed, a more remarkable equa¬ 
lity in the lize, colour, and figure of both fexes, than in 
moft places I have vifited. However, upon the whole, they 
are far from being ugly, and appear to have few natural de¬ 
formities of any kind. Their fkin is not very foft, nor 
Aiming ; perhaps for want of oiling, which is pra&ifed at 
the Southern iflands ; but their eyes and teeth are, in gene¬ 
ral, very tolerable. The hair, for the greateft part, is 
ftraight, though, in fome, frizzling; and though its na¬ 
tural colour be, commonly, black, it is ftained, as at the 
Friendly and other iflands. We faw but few inftances of 
corpulence; and thefe oftener amongft the women than the 
men; but it was chiefly amongft the latter that perfonal 
defeats were obferved, though, if any of them can claim 
a fliare of beauty, it was moft confpicuous amongft the 
young men. 
They are vigorous, acftive, and moft expert fwimmers; 
leaving their canoes upon the moft trifling occafion; diving 
under them; and fwimming to- others though at a great 
diftance. It was very common to fee women, with infants 
at the breaft, when the furf was fo high, that they could 
not land in the canoes, leap overboard, and, without endan¬ 
gering their little ones, fwim to the ftiore, through a fea 
that looked dreadful. 
They feem to be bleft with a frank, cheerful difpofition; 
and were I to draw any comparifons, fhould fay, that they 
are equally free from the fickle levity which diftinguifhes 
the natives of Otaheite, and the fedate call obfervable 
amongft many of thofe of Tongataboo. They feem to live 
very 
