ALTHOUGHIhadbeenunableduringthelatefestivaltoobtaininformationonmanyinterestingsubjectswhichhadmuchexcitedmycuriosity,stillthatimportanteventhadnotpassedbywithoutaddingmateriallytomygeneralknowledgeoftheislanders。
Iwasespeciallystruckbythephysicalstrengthandbeautywhichtheydisplayed,bytheirgreatsuperiorityintheserespectsovertheinhabitantsoftheneighbouringbayofNukuheva,andbythesingularcontraststheypresentedamongthemselvesintheirvariousshadesofcomplexion。
InbeautyofformtheysurpassedanythingIhadeverseen。Notasingleinstanceofnaturaldeformitywasobservableinallthethrongattendingtherevels。OccasionallyInoticedamongthementhescarsofwoundstheyhadreceivedinbattle;andsometimes,thoughveryseldom,thelossofafinger,aneye,oranarm,attributabletothesamecause。Withtheseexceptions,everyindividualappearedfreefromthoseblemisheswhichsometimesmartheeffectofanotherwiseperfectform。Buttheirphysicalexcellencedidnotmerelyconsistinanexemptionfromtheseevils;nearlyeveryindividualoftheirnumbermighthavebeentakenforasculptor’smodel。
WhenIrememberedthattheseislandersderivednoadvantagefromdress,butappearedinallthenakedsimplicityofnature,Icouldnotavoidcomparingthemwiththefinegentlemenanddandieswhopromenadesuchunexceptionalfiguresinourfrequentedthoroughfares。Strippedofthecunningartificesofthetailor,andstandingforthinthegarbofEden,-whatasorrysetofround-shouldered,spindle-shanked,crane-neckedvarletswouldcivilizedmenappear!Stuffedcalves,paddedbreasts,andscientificallycutpantaloonswouldthenavailthemnothing,andtheeffectwouldbetrulydeplorable。
Nothingintheappearanceoftheislandersstruckmemoreforciblythanthewhitenessoftheirteeth。Thenovelistalwayscomparesthemasticatorsofhisheroinetoivory;butIboldlypronouncetheteethoftheTypeestobefarmorebeautifulthanivoryitself。Thejawsoftheoldestgrey-beardsamongthemweremuchbettergarnishedthanthoseofmostoftheyouthsofcivilizedcountries;whiletheteethoftheyoungandmiddle-aged,intheirpurityandwhiteness,wereactuallydazzlingtotheeye。Thismarvellouswhitenessoftheteethistobeascribedtothepurevegetabledietofthesepeople,andtheuninterruptedhealthfulnessoftheirnaturalmodeoflife。
Themen,inalmosteveryinstance,areofloftystature,scarcelyeverlessthansixfeetinheight,whiletheothersexareuncommonlydiminutive。Theearlyperiodoflifeatwhichthehumanformarrivesatmaturityinthisgeneroustropicalclimatelikewisedeservestobementioned。Alittlecreature,notmorethanthirteenyearsofage,andwhoinotherparticularsmightberegardedasamerechild,isoftenseennursingherownbaby;whilstladswho,underlessripeningskies,wouldbestillatschool,arehereresponsiblefathersoffamilies。
OnfirstenteringtheTypeevalley,IhadbeenstruckwiththemarkedcontrastpresentedbyitsinhabitantswiththoseofthebayI
hadpreviouslyleft。Inthelatterplace,Ihadnotbeenfavourablyimpressedwiththepersonalappearanceofthemaleportionofthepopulation;althoughwiththefemales,exceptinginsometrulymelancholyinstances,Ihadbeenwonderfullypleased。
Apart,however,fromtheseconsiderations,Iaminclinedtobelievethatthereexistsaradicaldifferencebetweenthetwotribes,ifindeedtheyarenotdistinctracesofmen。TothosewhohavemerelytouchedatNukuhevaBay,withoutvisitingotherportionsoftheisland,itwouldhardlyappearcrediblethediversitiespresentedbetweenthevarioussmallclansinhabitingsodiminutiveaspot。Butthehereditaryhostilitywhichhasexistedbetweenthemforagesfullyaccountsforthis。
Notsoeasy,however,isittoassignanadequatecausefortheendlessvarietyofcomplexionstobeseenintheTypeevalley。
Duringthefestival,IhadnoticedseveralyoungfemaleswhoseskinswerealmostaswhiteasanySaxondamsel’s,aslightdashofthemantlingbrownbeingallthatmarkedthedifference。Thiscomparativefairnessofcomplexion,thoughinagreatdegreeperfectlynatural,ispartlytheresultofanartificialprocess,andofanentireexclusionfromthesun。Thejuiceofthe“papa“root,foundingreatabundanceattheheadofthevalley,isheldingreatesteemasacosmetic,withwhichmanyofthefemalesdailyanointtheirwholeperson。Thehabitualuseofitwhitensandbeautifiestheskin。Thoseoftheyounggirlswhoresorttothismethodofheighteningtheircharms,neverexposethemselvestotheraysofthesun;anobservance,however,thatproduceslittleornoinconvenience,sincetherearebutfewoftheinhabitedportionsofthevalewhicharenotshadedoverwithaspreadingcanopyofboughs,sothatonemayjourneyfromhousetohouse,scarcelydeviatingfromthedirectcourse,andyetneveronceseehisshadowcastupontheground。
The“papa,“whenused,issufferedtoremainupontheskinforseveralhours;beingofalightgreencolour,itconsequentlyimpartsforthetimeasimilarhuetothecomplexion。Nothing,therefore,canbeimaginedmoresingularthantheappearanceofthesenearlynakeddamselsimmediatelyaftertheapplicationofthecosmetic。Tolookatoneofthemyouwouldalmostsupposeshewassomevegetableinanunripestate;andthat,insteadoflivingintheshadeforever,sheoughttobeplacedoutinthesuntoripen。
Alltheislandersaremoreorlessinthehabitofanointingthemselves;thewomenpreferringthe“aker“or“papa,“andthemenusingtheoilofthecocoa-nut。Meheviwasremarkablyfondofmollifyinghisentirecuticlewiththisointment。Sometimeshemightbeseenwithhiswholebodyfairlyreekingwiththeperfumedoilofthenut,lookingasifhehadjustemergedfromasoap-boiler’svat,orhadundergonetheprocessofdippinginatallow-chandlery。Tothiscause,perhaps,unitedtotheirfrequentbathing,andextremecleanliness,isascribable,inagreatmeasure,themarvellouspurityandsmoothnessofskinexhibitedbythenativesingeneral。
Theprevailingtintamongthewomenofthevalleywasalightolive,andofthisstyleofcomplexionFayawayaffordedthemostbeautifulexample。Otherswerestilldarker,whilenotafewwereofagenuinegoldencolour,andsomeofaswarthyhue。
Asagreeingwithmuchpreviouslymentionedinthisnarrative,I
mayhereobserve,thatMendanna,theirdiscoverer,inhisaccountoftheMarquesas,describedthenativesaswondrouslybeautifultobehold,andasnearlyresemblingthepeopleofSouthernEurope。ThefirstoftheseislandsseenbyMendannawasLaMadelena,whichisnotfardistantfromNukuheva;anditsinhabitantsineveryrespectresemblethosedwellingonthatandtheotherislandsofthegroup。
Figueroa,thechroniclerofMendanna’svoyage,says,thatonthemorningthelandwasdescried,whentheSpaniardsdrewneartheshore,theresalliedforth,inrudeprocession,aboutseventycanoes,andatthesametimemanyoftheinhabitantsfemales,Ipresumemadetowardstheshipsbyswimming。Headds,that“incomplexiontheywerenearlywhite,ofgoodstature,andfinelyformed;andontheirfacesandbodiesweredelineatedrepresentationsoffishesandotherdevices。“TheoldDonthengoesontosay,“Therecame,amongothers,twoladspaddlingtheircanoe,whoseeyeswerefixedontheship;theyhadbeautifulfaces,andthemostpromisinganimationofcountenance,andwereinallthingssobecoming,thatthepilot-mayor,Quiros,affirmed,nothinginhislifeevercausedhimsomuchregretastheleavingsuchfinecreaturestobelostinthatcountry。“
SomeofthenativespresentattheFeastofCalabasheshaddisplayedafewarticlesofEuropeandress,disposed,however,abouttheirpersonsaftertheirownpeculiarfashion。AmongtheseI
perceivedthetwopiecesofcottonclothwhichpoorTobyandmyselfhadbestoweduponouryouthfulguidestheafternoonweenteredthevalley。Theywereevidentlyreservedforgaladays;andduringthoseofthefestivaltheyrenderedtheyoungislanderswhoworethemverydistinguishedcharacters。Thesmallnumberwhoweresimilarlyadorned,andthegreatvaluetheyappearedtoplaceuponthemostcommonandmosttrivialarticles,furnishedampleevidenceoftheveryrestrictedintercoursetheyheldwithvesselstouchingattheisland。Afewcottonhandkerchiefsofagaypattern,tiedabouttheneck,andsufferedtofallovertheshoulders,stripsoffancifulcalico,swathedabouttheloins,werenearlyallIsaw。
Indeed,throughoutthevalley,therewerefewthingsofanykindtobeseenofEuropeanorigin。AllIeversaw,besidesthearticlesjustalludedto,werethesixmusketspreservedintheTi,andthreeorfoursimilarimplementsofwarfarehungupinotherhouses,somesmallcanvasbags,partlyfilledwithbulletsandpowder,andhalfadozenoldhatchet-heads,withtheedgesbluntedandbatteredtosuchadegreeastorenderthemutterlyworthless。Theselastseemedtoberegardedasnearlyworthlessbythenatives;andseveraltimestheyhelduponeofthembeforeme,andthrowingitasidewithagestureofdisgust,manifestedtheircontemptforanythingthatcouldsosoonbecomeunserviceable。
Butthemuskets,thepowder,andthebullets,wereheldinmostextravagantesteem。Theformer,fromtheirgreatageandthepeculiaritiestheyexhibited,werewellworthyaplaceinanyantiquarian’sarmoury。Iremember,inparticular,onethathungintheTi,andwhichMehevi-supposingasamatterofcoursethatIwasabletorepairit-hadputintomyhandsforthatpurpose。Itwasoneofthoseclumsy,old-fashionedEnglishpiecesknowngenerallyasTowerHillmuskets,and,foraughtIknow,mighthavebeenleftontheislandbyWallace,Carteret,Cook,orVancouver。Thestockwashalf-rottenandworm-eaten;thelockwasasrustyandaboutaswelladaptedtoitsostensiblepurposeasanolddoor-hinge;thethreadingofthescrewsaboutthetriggerwascompletelywornaway;
whilethebarrelshookinthewood。Suchwastheweaponthechiefdesiredmetorestoretoitsoriginalcondition。AsIdidnotpossesstheaccomplishmentsofagunsmith,andwaslikewisedestituteofthenecessarytools,Iwasreluctantlyobligedtosignifymyinabilitytoperformthetask。AtthisunexpectedcommunicationMeheviregardedme,foramoment,asifhehalfsuspectedIwassomeinferiorsortofmoment,asifhehalfsuspectedIwassomeinferiorsortofwhiteman,whoafteralldidnotknowmuchmorethanaTypee。However,afteramostlabouredexplanationofthematter,I
succeededinmakinghimunderstandtheextremedifficultyofthetask。
Scarcelysatisfiedwithmyapologies,however,hemarchedoffwiththesuperannuatedmusketinsomethingofahuff,asifhewouldnolongerexposeittotheindignityofbeingmanipulatedbysuchunskilfulfingers。
Duringthefestival,Ihadnotfailedtoremarkthesimplicityofmanner,thefreedomfromallrestraint,and,toacertaindegree,theequalityofconditionmanifestedbythenativesingeneral。Nooneappearedtoassumeanyarrogantpretensions。Therewaslittlemorethanaslightdifferenceincostumetodistinguishthechiefsfromtheothernatives。Allappearedtomixtogetherfreely,andwithoutanyreserve;althoughInoticedthatthewishesofachief,evenwhendeliveredinthemildesttone,receivedthesameimmediateobediencewhichelsewherewouldhavebeenonlyaccordedtoaperemptorycommand。
Whatmaybetheextentoftheauthorityofthechiefsovertherestofthetribe,Iwillnotventuretoassert;butfromallIsawduringmystayinthevalley,Iwasinducedtobelievethatinmattersconcerningthegeneralwelfareitwasverylimited。Therequireddegreeofdeferencetowardsthem,however,waswillinglyandcheerfullyyielded;andasallauthorityistransmittedfromfathertoson,Ihavenodoubtthatoneoftheeffectshere,aselsewhere,ofhighbirth,istoinducerespectandobedience。
TheparticulargradesofrankexistingamongthechiefsofTypee,Icouldnotinallcasesdetermine。PrevioustotheFeastofCalabashes,IhadbeenpuzzledwhatparticularstationtoassigntoMehevi。Buttheimportantparthetookuponthatoccasionconvincedmethathehadnosuperioramongtheinhabitantsofthevalley。IhadinvariablynoticedacertaindegreeofdeferencepaidtohimbyallwithwhomIhadeverseenhimbroughtincontact;butwhenI