on the Islands, excepting _rats_; and by these
little quadrupeds they are literally overrun.

The number of all the inhabitants, men, women, and children, is
probably between five and six hundred.

The following may be given as prominent characteristics of the
natives.--They are in general, well made and handsome--very indolent
and superstitious. They are morose, treacherous, ferociously
passionate, and unfriendly to all other natives. When they are not
fishing, or otherwise employed, they are generally travelling about,
and visiting each other. They have no salutations when they meet, but
sit down without exchanging a word of civility for some minutes; but
after a silent pause, the head of the family, if there is any thing in
the house to eat, presents it to his guests, who, when they have eaten
sufficiently, if there are any _fragments_ left, are very careful to
secure them and carry them off when they return home; and the host
would regard it as an imposition, if his visitors were to neglect this
important trait of politeness, and fashionable item in etiquette.
They accustom themselves to frequent bathing; and commence with their
children on the day of their birth, and continue the practice twice a
day, regularly, till they are two years old. They do this to
invigorate the system, and render the skin of their children thick and
tough by exposure. Their living consists simply of breadfruit,
cocoanuts, and bup; but cocoanuts are all they can depend on the year
round--the two other articles being common only a part of the year.

Their diversions consist in singing, dancing, and beating time with
their arms, in a manner similar to the amusements of the natives at
the Sandwich Islands; in which they appear to take great delight.

They wear their hair long, and tie it up in a kind of bow on the top
of the head, and this is all the covering they have for their heads.
The men have long beards. One part of their dress makes a singular and
ludicrous appearance, which resembles two _horse tails_ suspended
from the waist, one before and the other behind. The women's dress
consists of two mats, about the size of a small pocket-handkerchief,
which they tie round them like an apron.

I never saw any form of marriage among them, but when a couple are
desirous of being united, their parents have a talk together on the
subject, and if the parties all agree to the union, the couple
commence living together as man and wife; and I n