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Article ISLE OF MOWEE. ← Page 2 of 2
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Isle Of Mowee.
most animating and entertaining spectacle that can be imagined . On the 29 th of May 1786 , we anchored to the west of this island , situate . in lat . 20 2- \ - ' 30 " and 15 S it , ' west longitude . The vegetation of this part of Mowee is not nearly so vigorous , or is the population so considerable , as on the eastern side , which we . had just touched upon ; however we had scarcely cast anchor , before we were surrounded by the inhabitantsbringing ns in their canoes hogsfruits
, , , and fresh vegetables . We commenced our barter with such success , that for a few pieces of iron we had in a few hours on board nearly 300 hogs , and an ample stock of vegetables . The mutual good faith observed on both sides in this traffic can be equalled , I believe , in very few European markets . Notwithstanding the abundance of animal and vegetable food , that this island furnishes to its inhabitants ,
yet with regard to health , elegance of form , and beauty of person , they are much inferior to the natives of Easter Isle , who are far more scantily provided with the necessaries of life . The inhabitants , however , of Mowee appear to have some analogy of conformation with those of Easter Isle , and even to be of a more robust make , if their health had not suffered from disorders . The common height of these people is about live feet eight inches ; they are of a
spare habit of body , with large features ; they have thick eyebrows , dark eyes , a confident , though riot forbidding air , high cheek bones , wide nostrils , thick lips , a wide mouth , rather large but handsome and even teeth ; we saw a few persons who had lost one or more of them ; and it is the opinion of a modern navigator , that they manifest in this way their grief for the loss of their relations or friends . During our continuance among them we observed nothing to confirm
or invalidate this idea . These people have more strongly expressed muscles , more bush y beards , -and the parts of sex better furnished with hair , than the natives of Easter Island . Their hair is black , which they cut into the figure of a helmet : one lock , representing the crest of the helmet , they suffer to grow to its full length , tinging the ends of it
red , probably by means of some vegetable acid . The . women are shorter than the men , and are destitute of the gaiety , the mildness , and elegance of form which distinguish those of Easter Island . They are in general ill-shaped , large featured , have a melancholy air , and are gross , sluggish , and awkward in their manners . The inhabitants of Easter Island , on the contrary , are mild , attentive , and have a degree of politeness towards strangers .
These people paint and tattoo the skin , bore the ears and the cartilage of the nose , in which they , wear rings by way of ornament . Their dress consists of an apron across the waist , and a piece of cloth wrapped round the body . The stuffs made by these islanders of the bark of the paper mulberry are elegant , and " of various constructions . They pairrt them with much taste , and their drawings are so regular as nearl y to equal those of our pattern-drawers . Their houses , formed into villages , are square , and built of the same materials as those of Easter Island . The inhabitants of Mowee appear Co be divided into several tribes , each governed bv a Chief .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Isle Of Mowee.
most animating and entertaining spectacle that can be imagined . On the 29 th of May 1786 , we anchored to the west of this island , situate . in lat . 20 2- \ - ' 30 " and 15 S it , ' west longitude . The vegetation of this part of Mowee is not nearly so vigorous , or is the population so considerable , as on the eastern side , which we . had just touched upon ; however we had scarcely cast anchor , before we were surrounded by the inhabitantsbringing ns in their canoes hogsfruits
, , , and fresh vegetables . We commenced our barter with such success , that for a few pieces of iron we had in a few hours on board nearly 300 hogs , and an ample stock of vegetables . The mutual good faith observed on both sides in this traffic can be equalled , I believe , in very few European markets . Notwithstanding the abundance of animal and vegetable food , that this island furnishes to its inhabitants ,
yet with regard to health , elegance of form , and beauty of person , they are much inferior to the natives of Easter Isle , who are far more scantily provided with the necessaries of life . The inhabitants , however , of Mowee appear to have some analogy of conformation with those of Easter Isle , and even to be of a more robust make , if their health had not suffered from disorders . The common height of these people is about live feet eight inches ; they are of a
spare habit of body , with large features ; they have thick eyebrows , dark eyes , a confident , though riot forbidding air , high cheek bones , wide nostrils , thick lips , a wide mouth , rather large but handsome and even teeth ; we saw a few persons who had lost one or more of them ; and it is the opinion of a modern navigator , that they manifest in this way their grief for the loss of their relations or friends . During our continuance among them we observed nothing to confirm
or invalidate this idea . These people have more strongly expressed muscles , more bush y beards , -and the parts of sex better furnished with hair , than the natives of Easter Island . Their hair is black , which they cut into the figure of a helmet : one lock , representing the crest of the helmet , they suffer to grow to its full length , tinging the ends of it
red , probably by means of some vegetable acid . The . women are shorter than the men , and are destitute of the gaiety , the mildness , and elegance of form which distinguish those of Easter Island . They are in general ill-shaped , large featured , have a melancholy air , and are gross , sluggish , and awkward in their manners . The inhabitants of Easter Island , on the contrary , are mild , attentive , and have a degree of politeness towards strangers .
These people paint and tattoo the skin , bore the ears and the cartilage of the nose , in which they , wear rings by way of ornament . Their dress consists of an apron across the waist , and a piece of cloth wrapped round the body . The stuffs made by these islanders of the bark of the paper mulberry are elegant , and " of various constructions . They pairrt them with much taste , and their drawings are so regular as nearl y to equal those of our pattern-drawers . Their houses , formed into villages , are square , and built of the same materials as those of Easter Island . The inhabitants of Mowee appear Co be divided into several tribes , each governed bv a Chief .