Transcription

[page 107]

   PERSON OF THE NATIVES
The inhabitants of this Island are Troubled with a sort of Leprosy or Scab all over their bodys[sic] I have seen men Women & 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 & 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 & toes, the men have it likewise & both have  [th..] diffarant figures such as Oroles, Crescents, &tc. which they have on their Arms & Legs, in short they are so various in the application of these figures that both the quantity & Situation of them seem to depend intirely[sic] upon the humour of each individual. yet all agree in having all their buttocks cover'd with a Deep blank, 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 & Women show them w.th great pleasure 
  Their method of Tattowing I shall now describe the colour they use is Campl black propos'd from the Smooth of a Kind of Oily, just used by them instead of Candles, the instrument for pricking it under the Skin is made of very thin flatt peices of bone or Shell from a Quarter of an inch & a half long one end is cut into sharp teeth & th other fastned to a handle, the teeth dip'd into black liguor & then drove by quick sharp blows struck upon the handle with a Stick for that purpose into the Skin so deep that every strocke is followed with a small quantity of Blood, the part so marked remains sore for some days before it heals, as this is a Painful operation specially the Following their Buttocks it is Perform'd but once in their Lifetimes, it is never done until they are 12 or 14 Years of Age-
  Their Cloathing are either of Cloath or Matting of several different sorts, the dress of both Men & Women are much the same which is a Peice of Cloth or Matting wrapp'd 2 or 3 times round their waist, & hangs down before their Knees both behind & before like a Pettycoat another heavier sometimes 2 or 3 about 2 Yards or 2½ Yards long with a hole in the Middle thru' which they pock their heads, this hangs over their Shoulders down behind & before & is tied round their waist with a long Peice of their Cloth & being open at the sides gives free Liberty to their Arms this is the common dress of all ranks of people, & there are few without such a one except the Children who go quite naked, they Boys until' they are 6 or 7 Years of Age & the Girls until 3 or 4 At these Ages they began to cover what nature teaches them to hide, besides the dress I have mentioned some of the better sorts such as can afford it, but more especially the Women will one way or other  
wrap round them several peices of Cloth each 8 or 10 Yards long & 2 or 3 broad, so much that I have often wondered how they could bear it in so hot a Climate again on the other hand many of the inferior sort during the heat of the Day go almost naked, the women wearing Nothing but the petticoat aforemention'd & sometimes hardly that, the Men wear a Peice of Cloth like a Sash w.ch goes between their thighs & bro.t up before & behind & then wrapped round their waist this every man always wears without exception & it is no uncommon thing to see many of the better sort have nothing else on so it is reckon'd no shame for any part of the body to be exposed to View except those which all mankind hide, both sexes sometimes shade their faces from the Sun with little Bonnets made of Cocoa Nut leaves, some have them of fine Matting, but this is less common they sometimes wear Turbands, but their Chief Head dress is what they call [.......] which is human Hair

Current Status: 
Partially transcribed