King Georges Island
Index
Search
Contact us
affirm that I have seen peices near a Mile in length work'd upon one end without a knott, these are made and wore only by the the women. five or six such peices of which they will some times wind round their headds the effect of which if done with taist is very becoming - They have ear rings by way of orniment but wear them only at one ear. these are made of Shells, Stones, berries, red pease and some small pearls which they wear three tied together but our Beeds, Buttons &Ca very soon supply'd their places —
After their meals and in the heat of the day they often sleep, middle aged people especialy the better sort of whom seem to spend most of their time in eating and sleeping - Diversions they have but ^ few Shooting with the Bow and Wristling are ^ the chief the first of which is confined almost wholy to the Chiefs they shoot for distance only, kneeling upon one knee and dropping the bow at the instant of the arrows parting from it, I have seen one of them shoot an arrow 274 yards yet he look'd upon it as no great shott — Musick is little known to them and yet they are very fond of it, they have only two Instruments the flute and the drum. the former is made of hollow bamboo about 15 Inches long in which are 3 holes in to one of them they blow with one nostril stoping the other with the thum of the left hand the other two holes they stop and unstop with their fingers and by this means produce two four notes of which they have made one tune which serves them upon all occasions, to which they sing a number of songs generaly consisting of two lines and generaly in rhime
 |
Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 84, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-020