THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
3*9 
offering to relieve them from the labour of the paddle; nor, i 77 s. 
indeed, do they treat them with any particular refpedt or ApriL f 
tendernefs in other Btuations. The young men appeared to 
be the moll indolent or idle fet in this community; for they 
were eithe r fitting about, in fcattered companies, to balk 
themfelves in the fun; or lay wallowing in the fand upon 
the beach, like a number of hogs, for the fame purpofe, 
without any covering. But this difregard of decency was 
confined to the men. The women were always properly 
clothed, and behaved with the utmofl propriety; juflly de¬ 
ferring all commendation, for a bafhfulnefs and modefly 
becoming their fex; but more meritorious in them, as the 
men feem to have no fenfe of fhame. It is impoflible, how¬ 
ever, that we fhould have been able to obferve the exadt 
mode of their domeftic life and employments, from a tingle 
vifit (as the firll was quite tranfitory) of a few hours. For 
it may be eafily fuppofed, that, on fuch an occafion, moft of 
the labour of all the inhabitants of the village would ceafe 
upon our arrival, and an interruption be given even to the 
ufual manner of appearing in their houfes, during their 
more remifs or fociable hours, when left to themfelves. We 
were much better enabled to form fome judgment of their 
difpofition, and, in fome meafure, even of their method of 
living, from the frequent vifits fo many of them paid us at 
our fhips, in their canoes; in which, it fhould feem, they 
fpend a great deal of time, at leaf! in the fummer feafon. 
For we obferved that they not only eat and Beep frequently 
in them, but Brip off their clothes, and lay themfelves along 
to balk in the fun, in the fame manner as we had feen 
pradtifed at their village. Their canoes of the larger fort, 
are, indeed, fufficiently fpacious for that purpofe, and per¬ 
fectly dry; fo that, under fhelter of a fkin, they are, except 
3 in 
