of Georges Island
us came in while they were dining & it hath sometimes hapened that when a Woman was alone in our company she would Eat with us but always took care that her country people should not know what she had done, so that whatever may be the reason for this custom it certainly affects their outward manners more than their Principles.
Person of the Natives
With respect to their persons the Men in general are tall, strong limb'd & well [indecipherable] one of the tallest we saw measured 6 Feet 3 Inches & a half, the superior women are in every respect as large as Europeans, but the inferior sort are in General small owingg possibly to their early Amours which they are more addicted to than their superiors. they are of various Colours, those of the inferior sort who are obliged to be much exposed to the sun & Air, are of a very Dark brown the superior again who spend most of their Time in their Houses, or under Shelter are not browner than people who are born or reside longer in the [indecipherable] may [indecipherable] the Women are almost as fair as European, their Hair is almost universally black, thick & Strong, this the Women wear short Crop Round their Ears, the men on the other hand wear it different ways, the better sort let it grow long & sometimes lying it up on the top of their Heads or letting it hang loose over their Shoulders. but many of the inferiors & such who in the exercise of their professions fishing etc are obliged to be much upon or in the Water wear it cropt short like the women. They always pluck out a part of their beard & keep what remains neat & Clean, both Sexes eradicate every hair from under their Armpits & look upon it as a mark of uncleanliness in us that we do not do the Same, they have all fine white teeth, & for the most part sport flat Noses& the lips yet their features are agreeable & their gate graceful & their behavior to Strangers & to each other is open, affable & Courteous & from all I could see far from Treachery only that they are thieves to a man, & would steal but everything that came in their way & that with such dexterity as would shame the most [indecipherable] Pick Pocket in Europe, they are very cleanly people both in their persons & diet always washing their hands& Mouth immediately before & after their Meals, & wash or Bathe themselves in fresh Water 3 times a day, morning, Noon & Night & the only disagreeable thing about them is the [indecipherable] which they annoint their heads Monoi as they call it, this is made of Cocoa & Oils 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, And a 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 universe for I seldom saw it done but among Children & Common People & 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 few men upon this island whose skins are whiter than any European but of a Dead Colour like that of the Nose of a White Horse their Eyes, eyebrows hair & 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 [indecipherable] & always look'd unwholesome & have neither the Spirit nor activity of the other Natives. I did not see above 3 or 4 upon the whole Island & these were old Men so that I concluded that this difference of Colour both was accidental & did not run in families, for if it did they must have been more numerous___________