Description of the Island of Otaheite; with many Particulars of its Produce and Inhabitants; their Dress, Habitations, Food, domeftic Life, Amusements, Manufactures, &c. From Dr. Hawkefworth's Account of the late Difcoveries made in the Southern Hemisphere.

HE face of the country, ex

borders upon the fea, is very uneven; it rifes in ridges that run up into the middle of the island, and there form mountains, which may be seen at the distance of fixty miles between the foot of thefe ridges and the fea, is a border of low land, furrounding the whole ifland, except in a few places where the ridges rife directly from the fea: the border of low land is in different parts of different breadths, but no where more than a mile and a half. The foil, except upon the very tops of the ridges, is extremely rich and fertile, watered by a great number of rivulets of excellent water, and covered with fruit-trees of various kinds, fome of which are of a stately growth and thick foliáge, fo as to form one continued wood; and even the tops of the ridges, though in general they are bare, and burnt up by the fun, are, in fome parts, not without their produce.

VOL. XVI.

The low land that lies between the foot of the ridges and the fea, and fome of the vallies, are the only parts of the island that are in. habited, and here it is populous; the houfes do not form villages or towns, but are ranged along the whole border at the distance of about fifty yards from each other, with little plantations of plantains,

cloth. The whole island, according to Tupia's account, who certainly knew, could furnish fix thoufand feven hundred and eighty fighting men, from which the num ber of inhabitants may easily be computed.

The produce of this ifland is bread-fruit, cocoa nuts, bananas, of thirteen forts, the beft we had ever eaten; plantains; a fruit not unlike an apple, which, when ripe, is very pleasant; fweet potatoes, yams, cocoas, a kind of Arum; a fruit known here by the name of Jambu, and reckoned moft delicious; fugar cane, which the inha bitants eat raw; a root of the falop kind, called by the inhabitants Pea; a plant called Ethee, of which the root only is eaten; a fruit that grows in a pod, like that of a large kidney bean, which, when it is roafted, eats very much like a chef. nut, by the natives called Abee; a tree called Wbarra, called in the

Eaft-Indies Pandanes, which produces fruit fomething like the pineapple; a fhrub called Nono; the Morinda, which also produces fruit; a fpecies of fern, of which the root is eaten, and fometimes the leaves; and a plant called Theve, of which the root alfo is eaten: but the fruits of the Nono, the fern, and the Theve, are eaten only by the inferior people, and in times of fcarcity. All thefe, which ferve the inhabitants for food, the earth produces fpontaneously, or with fo little culture, that they seem to be exempted from the first general curfe, that "man fhould eat his bread in the fweat of his brow." They have alfo the Chinese paper mulberry, morus papyrifera, which they call Aouta; a tree refembling the wild fig-tree of the Weft-Indies; another fpecies of fig, which they call Matte; the cor dia febeftina orientalis, which they call Etou; a kind of Cyperus grafs, which they call Moo; a fpecies of tournefortia, which they call Tabeinoo; another of the convolvulus poluce, which they call Eurhe; the folanum centifolium, which they call Ebooa; the calophyllum mophylum, which they call Tamannu; the bibifcus tiliaceus, called Poerou, a frutefcent nettle; the urtica argentea, called Erora; with many other plants which cannot here be particularly mentioned: thofe that have been named already will be referred to in the subsequent part of this work.

They have no European fruit, garden- ftuff, pulfe, or legumes, nor grain of any kind.

Of tame animals they have only hogs, dogs, and poultry; neither is there a wild animal in the island, except ducks, pigeons, paroquets, with a few other birds, and rats,

there being no other quadruped, nor any ferpent. But the fea fupplies them with great variety of most excellent fish, to eat which is their chief luxury, and to catch it their principal labour.

As to the people, they are of the largeft fize of Europeans. The men are tall, ftrong, well-limbed, and finely fhaped. The tallest that we faw was a man upon a neighbouring ifland called HUAHEINE, who measured fix feet three inches and an half. The women of the fuperior rank are also in general above our middle ftature, but thofe of the inferior clafs are rather below it, and fome of them are very fmall. This defect in fize probably proceeds from their early commerce with men, the only thing, in which they differ from their fuperiors, that could poffibly affect their growth.

Their natural complexion is that kind of clear olive, or Brunette, which many people in Europe prefer to the fineft white and red. In those that are exposed to the wind and fun, it is confiderably deepened, but in others that live under fhelter, efpecially the fuperior clafs of women, it continues of its native hue, and the fkin is moft delicately. fmooth and foft; they have no tint in their cheeks, which we distinguifh by the name of colour. The hape of the face is comely, the cheek bones are not high, neither are the eyes hollow, nor the brow prominent; the only feature that does not correfpond with our ideas of beauty is the nose, which, in general, is fomewhat flat; but their eyes, especially thofe of the women, are full of expreffion, fometimes fparkling with fire, and fometimes melting with foftness; their teeth alfo are, almost without

exception,

exception, most beautifully even and white, and their breath perfectly without taint.

In

The hair is almost univerfally black, and rather coarfe; the men have beards, which they wear in many fashions, always, however, plucking out great part of them, and keeping the reit perfectly clean and neat. Both fexes alfo eradicate every hair from under their arms, and accufed us of great uncleanlinefs for not doing the fame. their motions there is at once vigour and eafe; their walk is graceful, their deportment liberal, and their behaviour to strangers, and to each other, affable and courteous. In their difpofitions alfo they feemed to be brave, open, and candid, without either fufpicion or trea chery, cruelty, or revenge; fo that we placed the fame confidence in them as in our best friends, many of us, particularly Mr. Banks, fleeping frequently in their houfes in the woods, without a companion, and confequently wholly in their power. They were, however, all thieves; and when that is allowed, they need not much fear a competition with the people of any other nation upon earth. During our flay in this island we faw about five or fix perfons, like one that was met by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander on the 24th of April, in their walk to the eastward, whose skins were of a dead white, like the nofe of a white horse; with white hair, beard, brows, and eye lashes; red, tender eyes; a fhort fight, and fcurfy skins, covered with a kind of white down; but we found that no two of thefe belonged to the fame family, and therefore concluded, that they were not a fpecies, but unhappy individuals, rendered anomalous by disease,

It is a custom in most countries, where the inhabitants have long hair, for the men to cut it fhort, and the women to pride themfelves in its length. Here, however, the contrary cuftom prevails; the wo men always cut it fhort round their ears, and the men, except the fishers, who are almoft continually in the water, fuffer it to flow in large waves over their fhoulders, or tie it up in a bunch on the top of their heads.

They have a custom alfo of anointing their heads with what they call Monoe, an oil expreffed from the cocoa-nut, in which fome fweet herbs or flowers have been infufed: as the oil is generally rancid, the fmell is at firft very dif agreeable to an European; and as they live in a hot country, and have no fuch thing as a comb, they are not able to keep their heads free from lice, which the children and common people fometimes pick out and eat: a hateful cuftom, wholly different from their manners in every other particular; for they are delicate and cleanly almost without example; and thofe to whom we diftributed combs foon delivered themselves from vermin, with a diligence which showed they were not more odious to us than to them.

They have a custom of ftaining their bodies, nearly in the fame manner as is practifed in many other parts of the world, which they call Tattowing. They prick the fkin fo as juft not to fetch blood, with a small inftrument, fomething in the form of a hoe; that part which answers to the blade is made of a bone or fhell, fcraped very thin, and is from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a half wide s B 4

the

Eaft-Indies Pandanes, which produces fruit fomething like the pineapple; a fhrub called Nono; the Morinda, which also produces fruit; a fpecies of fern, of which the root is eaten, and fometimes the leaves; and a plant called Theve, of which the root alfo is eaten: but the fruits of the Nono, the fern, and the Theve, are eaten only by the inferior people, and in times of fcarcity. All thefe, which ferve the inhabitants for food, the earth produces fpontaneously, or with fo little culture, that they feem to be exempted from the first general curfe, that "man fhould eat his bread in the fweat of his brow." They have alfo the Chinese paper mulberry, morus papyrifera, which they call Aouta; a tree refembling the wild fig-tree of the West-Indies; another fpecies of fig, which they call Matte; the cor dia febeftina orientalis, which they call Etou; a kind of Cyperus grafs, which they call Moo; a fpecies of tournefortia, which they call Tabeinoo; another of the convolvulus poluce, which they call Eurhe; the folanum centifolium, which they call Ebooa; the calophyllum mophylum, which they call Tamannu; the bibifcus tiliaceus, called Poerou, a frutefcent nettle; the urtica argentea, called Erorva; with many other plants which cannot here be parti. cularly mentioned: thofe that have been named already will be referred to in the subsequent part of this work.

They have no European fruit, garden- ftuff, pulfe, or legumes, nor grain of any kind.

Of tame animals they have only hogs, dogs, and poultry; neither is there a wild animal in the island, except ducks, pigeons, paroquets, with a few other birds, and rats,

there being no other quadruped, nor any ferpent. But the fea fupplies them with great variety of moft excellent fish, to eat which is their chief luxury, and to catch it their principal labour.

As to the people, they are of the largeft fize of Europeans. The men are tall, ftrong, well-limbed, and finely fhaped. The tallest that we

faw was a man upon a neighbouring ifland called HUAHEINE, who measured fix feet three inches and an half. The women of the fuperior rank are also in general above our middle ftature, but thofe of the inferior clafs are rather below it, and fome of them are very small. This defect in fize probably proceeds from their early commerce with men, the only thing, in which they differ from their fuperiors, that could poffibly affect their growth.

Their natural complexion is that kind of clear olive, or Brunette, which many people in Europe prefer to the finest white and red. In thofe that are expofed to the wind and fun, it is confiderably deepened, but in others that live under fhelter, efpecially the fuperior class of women, it continues of its native hue, and the fkin is moft delicately fmooth and foft; they have no tint in their cheeks, which we diftinguifh by the name of colour. The hape of the face is comely, the cheek bones are not high, neither are the eyes hollow, nor the brow prominent; the only feature that does not correfpond with our ideas of beauty is the nose, which, in general, is fomewhat flat; but their eyes, efpecially thofe of the wo. men, are full of expreffion, fometimes fparkling with fire, and fometimes melting with foftness; their teeth alfo are, almost without exception,

exception, moft beautifully even and white, and their breath perfectly without taint.

It is a custom in most countries, where the inhabitants have long hair, for the men to cut it fhort, and the women to pride themselves in its length. Here, however, the contrary cuftom prevails; the wo men always cut it short round their ears, and the men, except the fishers, who are almoft continually in the water, fuffer it to flow in large waves over their fhoulders, or tie, it up in a bunch on the top of their heads.

The hair is almost univerfally black, and rather coarfe; the men have beards, which they wear in many fashions, always, however, plucking out great part of them, and keeping the reit perfectly clean and neat. Both fexes alfo eradicate every hair from under their arms, and accufed us of great uncleanlinefs for not doing the fame. In their motions there is at once vigour and cafe; their walk is graceful, their deportment liberal, and their behaviour to strangers, and to each other, affable and courteous. In their difpofitions alfo they feemed to be brave, open, and candid, without either fufpicion or treachery, cruelty, or revenge; fo that we placed the fame confidence in them as in our best friends, many of us, particularly Mr. Banks, fleeping frequently in their houfes in the woods, without a companion, and confequently wholly in their power. They were, however, all thieves; and when that is allowed, they need not much fear a competition with the people of any other nation upon earth. During our ftay in this island we faw about five or fix perfons, like one that was met by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander on the 24th of April, in their walk to the eastward, whofe skins were of a dead white, like the nofe of a white horse; with white hair, beard, brows, and eye lafhes; red, tender eyes; a fhort fight, and fcurfy kins, covered with a kind of white down; but we found that no two of thefe belonged to the fame family, and therefore concluded, that they were not a fpecies, but unhappy individuals, rendered anomalous by difeafe

They have a custom alfo of anointing their heads with what they call Monoe, an oil expreffed from the cocoa-nut, in which fome fweet herbs or flowers have been infufed: as the oil is generally rancid, the fmell is at firft very dif agreeable to an European; and as they live in a hot country, and have no fuch thing as a comb, they are not able to keep their heads free from lice, which the children and common people fometimes pick out and eat: a hateful cuftom, wholly different from their manners in every other particular; for they are delicate and cleanly almost without example; and thofe to whom we diftributed combs foon delivered themfelves from vermin, with a diligence which showed they were not more odious to us than to them.

They have a custom of ftaining their bodies, nearly in the fame manner as is practifed in many other parts of the world, which they call Tattowing. They prick the fkin fo as juft not to fetch blood, with a small instrument, fomething in the form of a hoe; that part which answers to the blade is made of a bone or fhell, fcraped very thin, and is from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a half wides the

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