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the same which is a peice of Cloth or Matting wraped two or three times round their waist and hangs down below their k^nees both behind and before like a Peticoat. another piece or sometimes two or three, about 2 yards or 2½ yards long with a hole in the middle thro which they put their heads this hangs over their shoulders down behind and before and is tied round their waist with a long peice of thin Cloth and being open at the sides gives free liberty to their arms this is the Common dress of all ranks of people and there are few without such a one except the Children who go quite naked. the boys untill they are Six or Seven years of Age and the girls untill 3 or 4 at these ages they begin to cover what nature teaches them to hide. Besides the dress I have mentioned some of the better sort such as can afford it but more especialy the women will one way or a nother wrap round them several peices of cloth each 8 or 10 yards long and 2 or 3 broad. so much that I have often wonder'd how they could bear it in so hot a climit 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 before mentioned and sometimes hardly that, the men wear a peice of Cloth like a Sash which goes between their thighs and brought up before and behind and then wraped round their waist this every man wears always without exception and it is no uncommon thing to see many of the better sort have nothing else on as it is reckon'd no shame for any part of the body to be exposed to view except those which all man kind hide. Both sexes, Sometimes shade their faces from the Sun with little bonnets made of cocoanut 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 Tamou which is human hair platted scarce thicker than common threed of this I can safely
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 83, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-019