Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71Cook, James
History
Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71
Cook, James
Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
The only disagreeable thing about them is the Oil with which they anoint
their heads, Monoe, as they call it; this is made of Cocoanutt Oil, in
which some sweet Herbs or Flowers are infused. The Oil is generally very
rancid, which makes the wearer of it smell not very agreeable.* (* Other
voyagers have, on the contrary, described the odour of this sweetened oil
as agreeable.) Another custom they have that is disagreeable to
Europeans, which is eating lice, a pretty good stock of which they
generally carry about them. However, this custom is not universal; for I
seldom saw it done but among Children and Common People, and I am
perswaided that had they the means they would keep themselves as free
from lice as we do; but the want of Combs in a Hot climate makes this
hardly possible. There are some very fine men upon this Island whose
skins are whiter than any European's, but of a Dead Colour, like that of
the Nose of a White Horse; their Eyes, eyebrows, hair and beards are also
White. Their bodys were cover'd, more or less, with a kind of White down.
Their skins are spotted, some parts being much whiter than others. They
are short-sighted, with their eyes oftimes full of rheum, and always
look'd unwholesome, and have neither the Spirit nor the activity of the
other Natives. I did not see above 3 or 4 upon the whole Island, and
these were old men; so that I concluded that this difference of colour,
etc., was accidental, and did not run in families, for if it did they
must have been more Numerous. The inhabitants of this Island are Troubled
with a sort of Leprosy, or Scab all over their bodys. I have seen Men,
Women, and Children, but not many, who have had this distemper to that
degree as not to be able to walk. This distemper, I believe, runs in
familys, because I have seen both mother and Child have it.
Both sexes paint their Bodys, Tattow, as it is called in their Language.
This is done by inlaying the Colour of Black under their skins, in such a
manner as to be indelible. Some have ill-design'd figures of men, birds,
or dogs; the women generally have this figure Z simply on every joint of
their fingers and Toes; the men have it likewise, and both have other
differant figures, such as Circles, Crescents, etc., which they have on
their Arms and Legs; in short, they are so various in the application of
these figures that both the quantity and Situation of them seem to depend
intirely upon the humour of each individual, yet all agree in having
their buttocks covered with a Deep black. Over this Most have Arches
drawn one over another as high as their short ribs, which are near a
Quarter of an inch broad. These Arches seem to be their great pride, as
both men and Women show them with great pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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