Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1835. NATIVE CLOTHING CONDUCT. 549 scraps of clothing, which they unfortunately prefer to their native dress. A woman, who has around her waist a substan- tial native garment, which falls as low as the calf of the leg ; and over her shoulders, folding in front across the bosom, a mantle, or cloak, of similar material — appears to the eye of a stranger much more decently dressed than the hasty lover of novelty ; who seems proud of a dirty cotton gown, tied only at the neck, and fluttering in the Avind. Their Sunday dresses, however, are clean and decent, though those of otlier days are certainly much the contrary. An vinder-garment alone need be added to the women's former dress of native manufacture, to make it answer every purpose. Why should not home inge- nuity, and domestic industry be encouraged .'' The moral conduct and character of tliese islanders have undergone so much discussion ; so various have been the deci- sions, and so varying are the opinions of voyagers and residents, that I, for one, am satisfied by the conclusion, that the good and the bad are mixed in Otaheite, much as they are in other parts of the world exposed to the contamination of unprincipled people. That the missionaries have done so much, in checking and restraining depravity, is to me matter of serious reflection. But let us also remember, that the testimony of very trust- worthy witnesses shews that there, even in earlier days, iniquity did not search after those who sought not her abode ! * The Beagle's stay was too short to enable us to form any * Cook says — " Great injustice has been done the women of Otaheite, and the Society Isles. The favours of married women, and also the un- married of the better sort are as difficult to be obtained here, as in any other country whatever. I must, however, allow, that they are all com- pletely versed in the art of coquetry, and that vei-y few of them fix any bounds to their conversation. It is therefore no wonder that they have obtained the character of libertines." In the excellent descriptions of Turnbull, we read: — "Much has been said as to the licentiousness and loose conduct of the women. It is but justice to say, that I saw nothing of this. Their ideas of decency are doubtless very diil'erent from ours; they must be judged therefore by a very different standard."