Account and Character of the natives of the Friendly Ilands: From Vol. I. of Captain Cook's laft voyage to the Pacific Ocean, in the years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1780.

"THE

HE natives of the Friendly Islands seldom exceed the common ftature (though we have measured fome, who were above fix feet); but are very ftrong, and well made; especially as to their limbs. They are generally broad about the fhoulders; and though the mufcular difpofition of the men, which feems a confequence of much action, rather conveys the appear ance of ftrength than of beauty, there are feveral to be feen, who are really handsome. Their features are very various; infomuch, that it is fcarcely poffible to fix on any general likeness, by which to characterize them, unless it be a fullness at the point of the nofe, which is very common. But, on the other hand, we met with hun. dreds of truly European faces, and many genuine Roman nofes, amongst them. Their eyes and teeth are good; but the last neither fo remarkably white, nor fo well fet as is often found among ft Indian nations; though, to balance that, few of them have any uncommon thickness about the lips, a defect as frequent as the other perfection.

The women are not so much difVOL. XXVII.

tinguished from the men by their features as by their general form, which, is, for the most part, deftitute of that strong fleshy firmnes that appears in the latter. Though the features of fome are fo delicate, as not only to be a true index of their fex, but to lay claim to a confiderable fhare of beauty and expreffion, the rule is, by no means, fo general as in many other countries. But, at the fame time, this is frequently the most exceptionable part; for the bodies and limbs of most of the females are well proportioned; and fome, abfolutely, perfect models of a beautiful figure. But the most remarkable diftinction in the women, is the uncommon fmallness and delicacy of their fingers, which may be put in competition with the finest in Europe.

The general colour is a caft deeper than the copper brown; but

feveral of the men and women have a true olive complexion; and fome of the laft are even a great deal fairer; which is probably the effect of being lefs expofed to the fun; as a tendency to corpulence, in a few of the principal people, feems to be the confequence of a dolent life. It is alfo amongst the laft, that a foft clear fkin is moft frequently obferved. Amongst the bulk of the people, the kin is, more commonly, of a dull hue, B

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with fome degree of roughness, efpecially the parts that are not covered; which, perhaps, may be occafioned by fome cutaneous dif eafe. We faw a man and boy at Happaee, and a child at Annamooka, perfectly white. Such have been found amongst all black nations; but I apprehend that their colour is rather a difeafe, than a natural phænomenon.

There are, nevertheless, upon the whole, few natural defects or deformities to be found amongst them; though we faw two or three with their feet bent inward; and fome afflicted with a fort of blindnefs, occafioned by a difeafe of the cornea. Neither are they exempt from fome other difeafes. The moft common of which is the tetter, or ring-worm, that feems to affect almoft one half of them, and leaves whitifh ferpentine marks, every where, behind it. But this is of lefs confequence than another disease, which is very frequent, and appears on every part of the body,

large broad ulcers with thick white edges, difcharging a thin, clear matter; fome of which had a very virulent appearance, particularly thofe on the face, which were fhocking to look at. And yet we met with fome who feemed to be cured of it, and others in a fair way of being cured; but this was not effected without the lofs of the nofe, or of the best part of it. As we know for a certainty* (and the fact is acknowledged by them. felves), that the people of thefe iflands were fubject to this loathfome disease before the English firft vifited them, notwithftanding the

fimilarity of fymptoms, it cannot be the effect of the venereal contagion; unless we adopt a fuppofition, which I could with had fufficient foundation in truth, that the venereal diforder was not introduced here from Europe, by our ships in 1773. It, affuredly, was now found to exift amongst them; for we had not been long there, before fome of our people received the infection; and I had the mortification to learn from thence, that all the care 1 took, when I firft vifited thefe islands, to prevent this dreadful difeafe from being communicated to their inhabitants, had proved ineffectual. What is extraordinary, they do not feem to regard it much ; and as we faw few figns of its destroying effects, probably the climate, and the way of living of thefe people, greatly abate its virulence. There are two other dif eafes frequent amongst them; one of which is an indolent firm fwelling, which affects the legs and arms, and increafes them to an extraordinary fize in their whole length. The other is a tumour of the fame fort, in the tefticles, which fometimes exceed the fize of the two fifts. But, in other refpects, they may be confidered as uncommonly healthy; not a fingle perfon having been feen, during our ftay; confined to the house, by fickness of any kind. On the contrary, their strength and activity are, every way, answerable to their mufcular appearance; and they exert both, in their ufual em· ployment, and in their diverfions in fuch a manner, that there can be no doubt of their being, as yet,

little debilitated by the numerous difeafes that are the confequence of indolence, and an unnatural method of life.

The graceful air and firm ftep with which thefe people walk, are not the leaft obvious proof of their perfonal accomplishments. They confider this as a thing fo natural, or fo neceffary to be acquired, that nothing used to excite their laughter fooner, than to fee us frequently ftumbling upon the roots of trees, or other inequalities of the ground.

Their countenance very remarkably exprefs the abundant mildness, or good-nature which they poffefs; and are entirely free from that favage keennefs which marks nations in a barbarous ftate. One would, indeed, be apt to fancy that they had been bred up under the fevereft reftrictions, to acquire an afpect fo fettled, and fuch a command of their paffions, as well as fteadinefs in conduct. But they are, at the fame time, frank, cheerful, and good-humoured; though, fometimes, in the prefence of their Chiefs, they put on a degree of gravity, and fuch a serious air as becomes ftiff and aukward, and has an appearance of referve.

Their peaceable difpofition is fufficiently evinced, from the friendly reception all strangers have met with, who have vifited them. In ftead of offering to attack them openly, or clandeftinely, as has been the cafe with most of the in habitants of these feas, they have never appeared, in the fmalleft degree, hoftile; but on the contrary like the most civilized people, have courted an intercourfe with their vifiters, by bartering, which is the only medium that unites all nations in a fort of friendship. They un.

derftand barter (which they call fukkatou) fo perfectly, that, at first, we imagined they might have acquired this knowledge of it by commercal intercourfe with the neighbouring iflands; but we were afterward affured, that they had little or no traffic, except with Feejee, from which they get the red feathers, and the few other articles, mentioned before. Perhaps, no nation in the world traffic with more honefty and lefs diftrust. We could always fafely permit them to examine our goods, and to hand them about, one to another; and they put the fame confidence in us. either party repented of the bargain, the goods were re-exchanged with mutural confent and good-humour. Upon the whole, they feem poffeffed of many of the most excellent qua lities that adorn the human mind; fuch as induftry, ingenuity, perfeve rance, affability, and, perhaps, other virtues which our fhort stay with them might prevent our obferving.

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The only defect fullying their character, that we know of, is a propenfity to thieving; to which, we found, thofe of all ages, and both fexes, addicted; and to an uncommon degree. It fhould, however, be confidered, that this exceptionable part of their condu& feemed to exift merely with refpect to us; for, in their general inter< courfe with one another, I had reas fon to be of opinion, that thefts do not happen more frequently (per haps lefs fo) than in other countries the dishonest practices of whofe worthlefs individuals are not fupposed to authorize any indifcriminate cenfure on the whole body of the people. Great allowances fhould be made for the foibles of these poor natives of the Pacific Ocean, B 2

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