placed as to resemble a sock. This fashion, however, is partly gone
by, and has been succeeded by others. Here, although fashion is far
from immutable, every one must abide by that prevailing in his youth.
An old man has thus his age for ever stamped on his body, and he cannot
assume the airs of a young dandy. The women are tattooed in the same
manner as the men, and very commonly on their fingers. One unbecoming
fashion is now almost universal: namely, shaving the hair from the
upper part of the head, in a circular form, so as to leave only an
outer ring. The missionaries have tried to persuade the people to
change this habit; but it is the fashion, and that is a sufficient
answer at Tahiti, as well as at Paris. I was much disappointed in the
personal appearance of the women: they are far inferior in every
respect to the men. The custom of wearing a white or scarlet flower in
the back of the head, or through a small hole in each ear, is pretty. A
crown of woven cocoa-nut leaves is also worn as a shade for the eyes.
The women appear to be in greater want of some becoming costume even
than the men.
Nearly all the natives understand a little English--that is, they know
the names of common things; and by the aid of this, together with
signs, a lame sort of conversation could be carried on. In returning
in the evening to the boat, we stopped to witness a very pretty scene.
Numbers of children were playing on the beach, and had lighted bonfires
which illumined the placid sea and surrounding trees; others, in
circles, were singing Tahitian verses. We seated ourselves on the
sand, and joined their party. The songs were impromptu, and I believe
related to our arrival: one little girl sang a line, which the rest
took up in parts, forming a very pretty chorus. The whole scene made
us unequivocally aware that we were seated on the shores of an island
in the far-famed South Sea.
17th.--This day is reckoned in the log-book as Tuesday the 17th,
instead of Monday the 16th, owing to our, so far, successful chase of
the sun. Before breakfast the ship was hemmed in by a flotilla of
canoes; and when the natives were allowed to come on board, I suppose
there could not have been less than two hundred. It was the opinion of
every one that it would have been difficult to have picked out an equal
number from any other nation, who would have given so little trouble.
Everybody brought something for sale: shells were the main articles of
trade. The Tahitians now fully understand the value of money, and
381