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a ^woman weare a peice of the fine cloth. One day a[t] Tolago I saw a strong proff that the women never appear naked at least before strangers. some of us happen'd to land upon a small Island where several of them ^were naked in the water gathering Lobsters and Shell fish: as soon as they saw us some of them hid themselves among the rocks and the rest remain'd in the Sea untill they had made themselves aprons of the Sea weed and even than when they came out to us they shew'd manifest signs of Shame and those who had no method of hiding their nakedness would by no means appear before us The women have all very soft Voices and may by that a lone be known from the men ^The makeing of Cloth and all other Domestick work is I beleive wholy done by them and the more labourous work such as build.g Boats, Houses, Tilling the ground, fishing &Ca by the Men. Both men and women wear oraments at their ears and about their necks. these are made of Stone, bone, Shells &Ca and are variously shaped and some I have seen wear human teeth and finger nails and I think we were told that they did belong to thier deceas'd friends. the men when they are dress'd generaly wear two or three long white feathers stuck upright in their hair and at Queen Charlottes sound many both men and women wore round Caps made of black feathers. —
The old men are much respected by the younger who seem to be governed and dere[c]ted by them on most occasions. We at first thought that they were united under one head or chief whose name is Teeratu. We first heard of him in Poverty Bay and he was own'd as Chief by every one we met
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 211, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-057