varied, from its predominant Solemnity of air; and there 
were inftances of ftanzas being fung in a more gay and 
lively ftrain, and even with a degree of humour. 
The only inftruments of mulic (if fuch they may he 
called) which I faw amongft them, were a rattle; and a fmall 
whiffle, about an inch long, incapable of any variation, from 
having but one hole. They ufe the rattle when they ling; 
but upon what occalions they ufe the whiffle I know not, 
unlefs it be when they drefs themfelves like particular ani- 
mals, and endeavour to imitate their howl or cry. I once 
faw one of them dreffed in a wolf’s fkin, with the head 
over his own, and imitating that animal by making a 
fqueaking noife with one of thefe whiffles, which he had 
in his mouth. The rattles are, for the moll part, made in 
the Shape of a bird, with a few pebbles in the belly; and 
the tail is the handle. They have others, however, that 
bear rather more refemblance to a child’s rattle. 
In trafficking with us, fome of them would betray a 
knavifh difpolition, and carry off our goods without making 
any return. But, in general, it was otherwife; and we had 
abundant reafon to commend the fairnefs of their conduct. 
However, their eagernefs to poffefs iron and brafs, and, in¬ 
deed, any kind of metal, was fo great, that few of them 
could relift the temptation to fteal it, whenever an opportu¬ 
nity offered. The inhabitants of the South Sea Illands, as 
appears from a variety of inftances in the courfe of this 
voyage, rather than be idle, would fteal any thing that they 
could lay their hands upon, without ever considering, whe¬ 
ther it could be of ufe to them or no. The novelty of the 
objedt, with them, was a Sufficient motive for their endea¬ 
vouring, by any indirect means, to get poffeffion of it; 
which marked that, in fuch cafes, they were rather actuated 
by 
