{"character_count": 3174, "word_count": 532, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9689000248908997], "ccnet_perplexity": [1036.5], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
have also pleasing countenances, but on
the whole little can be said in favor Of
their beauty. They bear an influential
sway both in domestic and public poll
tics and this they are the better calcula-
ted to do, since they are intelligent, ac-
tive, and robust, partake of the labors of
their husbands with cheerfulness, and,
with but few and recent exceptions, live
virtuous in all stations of life.


"The children are stout and shrcwd
little urchins, familiar and confident but
at the same time we'll behaved. They
are early Injured to aquatic exercises, and
it amused us not little to see small crea-
lures, two or three years old, sprawling in
the surf which broke upon the beach :;
their mothers sitting upon the rocks
watching their antics, and coolly telling
them to come out or they would be
drowned - whilst the older children,
amusing themselves with their surf-boards,
would dive out beneath the lofty break
ers, and, availing themselves of a second
series, approach the coast, borne on the
crest of a wave with a velocity which
threatened their instant destruction against
the rocks but, skilfully evading any con-
tact with the shore, they again dived forth
to meet and mount another of their foam
ing steeds.


"The ordinary clothing of the men is
little more than the marc or girdle cloth
worn by the most primitive Polynesian
islanders. On occasions of ceremony, as
to attend at church or receive the visits
of strangers, they assume a complete En-
slish costume, their hats being construct
ed of pandanus-leaf cuinot,' and decora-
ted with colored ribands, which gives
them pretty rustic holiday effect.


"The females commonly employ for
their dress the native material they pre-
pare from the bark of the paper-mulberry
tree, stained with vegetable dyes, but as
opportunities offer they substitute for this
rude cloth the handkerchiefs and cotton
prints of Europe. They wear the petit
coat and scarf in the Tahitian style, and
complete their toilette after the manner
of the same nation, by passing girdle of
the scared aud yellow leaves of the III
plant around their waist, placing flowers
in their ears, and encircling their tresses
with a floral wreath. Some few wear
their hair short, but the majority permit
it to flow over their shoulders in luxuriant
ringlets.


"Thcse people subsist chiefly on ve-
getable food. Vans which are abundant,
and of excellent quality, form their prin-
cipal dependence and next to these the
roots of the mountain taro, (arum costa
tum) for the cultivation of which the dry
and elevated character of the land is so
well adapted. Cocoanuts, bananas, sweet
potatoes, pumpkins, water melons, are
also included among their edible vegeta-
bles, but of breadfruit they obtain only a
scanty crop, of very, Indifferent quality.
They prepare common and favorte food
with grated cocoanuts, and yams pound
ed with bananas to thick paste, which,
when enveloped in leaves and baked, fur
nish very nutritious and palateable cake
called pilai.' On two days in the week
they permit themselves the indulgence Of
animal food, either goats flesh, pork, or
poultry, while the waters around the coast
afford them sufficient supply Of fish.