answers the
purpose by being forced through it on one side and out on the
opposite, after passing underneath the hair. Sometimes this elegant
pin, as it may be called, is formed of the leg bone of some small
animal, and is pointed at one end for the purpose of penetrating more
easily. The expression of their countenance, scared and marked as it
is, and surmounted by the cap already described, is wild and
barbarous. They smear their faces entirely over with red clay, mixed
with palm oil, sometimes a kind of grey dust is used instead of the
clay, and this preparation being equally distributed over their whole
persons, renders their presence scarcely tolerable. It is difficult
to find out the colour of their skin under the filthy covering of oil
and clay by which it is concealed, but it is believed not to be so
dark as the African negro, and more resembling a copper colour.

The natives make use of no other dress than the cap, which they wear
on their heads, but a few leaves, or a bunch of dried grass, are
usually secured round the middle by the people of both sexes, while
the younger, naturally unconscious of indecency, go entirely naked.
The vertebrae of snakes, the bones of fowls and birds, as well as
sheep, broken shells, small beads, and pieces of cocoa nut shell are
put in requisition by the natives, for the ornament of their persons.
A profusion of these strung together hang round the waist, which it
seems to be the principal care to decorate in this manner, while
their necks are scarcely less favoured with a proportion of these
articles. Strings of them are also fastened round the arms and legs,
but not in such quantities as round the waist. The pieces of hoop
they have obtained from the ships which have visited the island, are
formed into rude knives, or polished, and worn on the arm, in a kind
of band made of straw, and are much valued. In their first
intercourse with Europeans, the natives were very shy, and displayed
much fear, but this gradually wore off, and they now venture boldly
on board for the purpose of obtaining knives, hatchets, or any thing
they can get. They have a few canoes of small dimensions, capable of
containing ten or twelve people, but are not very expert in the
management of them, although they are so far advanced as to make use
of a mast and sail, which latter is constructed of a sort of mat.
They seem to be little addicted to the water, and none were seen
amongst them; who could swim. I