cloth, and of the same materials, as at Otaheite; though they have not such a variety, nor do they make any so fine; but, as they have a method of glazing it, it is more durable, and will resist rain for some time, which Otaheite cloth will not.  Their colours are black, brown, purple, yellow, and red; all made from vegetables.  They make various sorts of matting; some of a very fine texture, which is generally used for clothing; and the thick and stronger sort serves to sleep on, and to make sails for their canoes, &c.  Among other useful utensils, they have various sorts of baskets; some are made of the same materials as their mats; and others of the twisted fibres of cocoa-nuts.  These are not only durable but beautiful; being generally composed of different colours, and studded with beads made of shells or bones.  They have many little nick-nacks amongst them; which shews that they neither want taste to design, nor skill to execute, whatever they take in hand.

How these people amuse themselves in their leisure hours, I cannot say, as we are but little acquainted with their diversions.  The women frequently entertained us with songs, in a manner which was agreeable enough.  They accompany the music by snapping their fingers, so as to keep time to it.  Not only their voices, but their music was very harmonious, and they have a considerable compass in their notes.  I saw but two musical instruments amongst them.  One was a large flute made of a piece of bamboo, which they fill with their noses as at Otaheite; but these have four holes or stops, whereas those of Otaheite have only two.  The other was composed of ten or eleven small reeds of unequal lengths, bound together side by side, as the Doric pipe of the ancients is said to have been; and the open ends of the reeds into which they blow with their mouths, are of equal height, or in a line.  They have also a drum, which, without any impropriety, may be compared to an hollow log of wood.  The one I saw was five feet six inches long, and thirty inches in girt, and had a slit in it, from the one end to the other, about three inches wide, by means of which it had been hollowed out.  They beat on the side of this log with two drum-sticks, and produce an hollow sound, not quite so musical as that of an empty cask.

The common method of saluting one another is by touching or meeting noses, as is done in New Zealand, and their sign of peace to strangers, is the displaying a white flag or flags; at least such were displayed to us, when we first drew near the shore.  But the people who came first on board brought with them some of the pepper plant, and sent it before them into the ship; a stronger sign of friendship than which one could not wish for.  From their unsuspicious manner of coming on board, and of receiving us at first on shore, I am of opinion, they are seldom disturbed by either foreign or domestic troubles.  They are, however, not unprovided with very formidable weapons;