The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Some Account of the Inhabitants and Productions of the Sandwich Isles.

[From the Journal of Capt. Cook's last voyage to the Pacific Ocean.]

THESE islands, which lie in the latitude of 21 deg. 44 min. N. and in long. 199 E. are not, in beauty and fertility, inferior to the Friendly islands in the southern hemisphere, nor are the inhabitants less ingenious or civilized. Excepting the first quarrel that happened, we had not the least difference with any of them during our stay. What they had to dispose of they parted with upon the easiest terms, nor did they seem so thievishly inclined as those on the other side the line.

The men in these islands are of the middle size, of a dark complexion, not much tattooed, but of a lively open countenance. They were no otherwise clothed than decency required, and what they had on appeared to be of their own manufacture, of which there were various fabrics, and of a variety of colours. Some were made with borders exactly resembling coverlids, and others appeared like printed cottons: and, besides cloth, they had many other articles which shewed that they had artificers among them, not wanting in ingenuity. One peculiarity we observed among the men, and that was in the cut of their hair, which they trimmed up to a ridge along their heads, in form like what, in horses manes, is called hogging. Others again wore it long, plaiting it in tails, which hung below the waist; and these we took for marks of distinction among them. Add to this, a kind of short cloak worn by their chiefs, in shape like those worn by the ladies in England, and composed of most beautiful feathers, ranged in rows one over another, and narrowing from the lower border till they terminate in a kind of net-work round the neck. The women in general have shock hair, which they were at great pains to ornament. They had large holes in their ears, that filled as they were, with most beautifully coloured shells made up in clusters, served for jewels, and had no bad effect. Their head-dress consisted of wreathes of flowers, decorated with feathers, chiefly red: and having, in general, lively piercing black eyes, white teeth, small features, and round faces, were not a little inviting, had not Capt. Cook's severe prohibition put a check to the predominant passion of our men.

Their dress, upon the whole, was more decent than that of the men, and few were without necklaces and bracelets, of which they seemed very fond, and for which our strings of beads were well suited.

Their manufactures the people freely sold for nails, hatchets, scissors, knives, or iron instruments of any kind; glass bowls was a valuable article, so were beads, buttons, looking-glasses, china cups, and in short any of our European commodities.

Excepting the sugar-cane, which appeared indigenous to these islands, and which were rare in those on the other side the line, their produce was much the same: only the cocoa-nuts were by no means so large, nor in so great plenty here as at the friendly Isles.

Wood was not to be purchased in plenty, nor did we stand much in need of that article.

Hogs, dogs, ducks, and poultry were here in greater abundance than on the other side the line, but their plantations were not so beautifully ranged, nor so well cultivated. The houses here are warmer as the air is colder. They are built tent-fashion, and are covered from top to bottom.

There seems indeed a remarkable conformity between these islands and those of the opposite hemisphere, not only in their situation but in their number, and in the manners, customs, arts, and manufactures of the inhabitants, though it can scarcely be imagined, that they could ever have any communication, as the globe is now constituted, being at more than 2000 miles distance one from the other, with very little dry land between. From observing this general conformity among the tropical islanders, some have been led to believe, that the whole middle region of the earth, was once one entire continent, and that what is now the Great South Pacific ocean, was, in the beginning, the paradise of the world: but whoever would wish to hear more on this subject, will do well to read Burnet's Theory of the Earth, where, if he does not find arguments solid enough to convince his reason, he will meet with reasoning sufficiently plausible to amuse his fancy.