Parkinson's Journal, Otaheite, page 54

Page 54

Parkinson's Journal

On this day ...
4 May 1769

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James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia

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Otaheite

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Otaheite (continued)

The natives cut their hair in various forms. When their nearest relations die, some of them cut it off entirely, and go bare-headed; others leave a border all round the head; and others cut it into circles; while some have only a circular piece cut off the crown like a priest’s tonsure; others still prefer another mode, leaving the hair upon the crown of the head, and cut off all the rest. All this they perform with a shark’s tooth, which cuts it very close: they also shave with a shark’s tooth fitted to a piece of coarse shell. The natives are accustomed to mark themselves in a very singular manner, which they call tataowing; [see pl. VII. fig. 1.] this is done with the juice of a plant; and they perform the operation with an instrument having teeth like a comb, dipped in the juice, with which the skin is perforated. [See pl. XIII. fig. 2, 3, and 4.] Mr. Stainsby, my-self, and some others of our company, underwent the operation, and had our arms marked: the stain left in the skin, which cannot be effaced without destroying it, is of a lively bluish purple, similar to that made upon the skin by gun-powder. These people have invented a musical instrument, somewhat like a flute, [see pl. XIII. fig. 8. and pl. IX.] which they blow into through their noses; but their notes, which are but very few, are rude and ungrateful. Their dances are not less sin-gular than their music; for they twist their bodies into many extravagant postures, spread their legs, set their arms a-kimbo, and, at the same time, distort the muscles of their faces, and twist their mouths diagonally, in a manner which none of us could imitate. [See pl. VII. fig. 2.]

Polygamy is not allowed amongst them; but the married women have not a very delicate sense of modesty; their husbands will allow you any liberty with their wives, except the last, which they do not approve. Most of our ship’s company procured temporary wives amongst the natives, with whom they occasionally cohabited; an indulgence which even many reputed virtuous Europeans allow themselves, in uncivilized parts of the world, with impunity; as if a change of place altered the moral turpitude of fornication: and what is a sin in Europe, is only a simple innocent gratification in America; which is to suppose, that the obligation to chastity is local, and restricted only to particular parts of the globe.

Voyaging Accounts

© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, pages 25 - 26, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
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