e of voluptuousness, and
cannot fail of affecting the nation in general. The effect, which was
immediately obvious to me, was the low stature of the common class of
people, to which all these prostitutes belonged. Among this whole
order, we saw few persons above the middle size, and many below it; an
observation which confirms what M. de Buffon has very judiciously said
on the subject of early connections of the sexes. Their features were
very irregular, and, in general, very ordinary, except the eyes, which
were always large and full of vivacity; but a natural smile, and a
constant endeavour to please, had so well supplied the want of beauty,
that our sailors were perfectly captivated, and carelessly disposed of
their shirts and clothes, to gratify their mistresses. The simplicity
of their dress, &c. might contribute to this attraction; and the view
of several of these nymphs swimming all nimbly round the sloop, such
as nature had formed them, was perhaps more than sufficient entirety
to subvert the little reason which a mariner might have left to govern
his passions. As trifling circumstances had given occasion to their
taking the water. One of the officers on the quarter-deck intended to
drop a bead into a canoe for a little boy about six years old; by
accident it missed the boat and fell into the sea, but the child
immediately leaped overboard, and diving after it, brought it up
again. To reward his performance, we dropped some more beads to him,
which so tempted a number of men and women, that they amused us with
amazing feats of agility in the water, and not only fetched up several
beads scattered at once, but likewise large nails, which, on account
of their weight, descended quickly to a considerable depth. Some of
them continued a long while under water, and the velocity with which
we saw them go down, the water being perfectly clear, was very
surprising. The frequent ablutions of these people seem to make
swimming familiar to them from their earliest childhood; and, indeed,
their easy position in the water, and the pliancy of their limbs, gave
us reason to look on them almost as amphibious creatures." These
trifling ornaments were most eagerly coveted by all ages and sexes,
and often prized much above any other European goods however useful,
so prevalent and powerful is the love o