or animals, as in the Sandwich Islands, but represent upon it, in the most perfect symmetry, connected ornaments in concentric rings and knots, which added greatly to the beauty of its appearance.  The women only tatoo their hands and arms, the ends of their ears, and their lips.  The lower classes are less tatooed, and many of them not at all; and it is therefore not improbable that this ornament serves to point out a noble, or, at any rate, a distinguished personage.  There are some among them who have particularly acquired this art; one of whom took up his residence on board the ship, where he found sufficient employment, as almost all the sailors underwent the operation.”  Figures of animals are favourite decorations for the skin with some people.  Hutchinson, in his History of Massachusets Bay, second edition, tells of the natives,—­“Upon their cheeks, and in many parts of their bodies, some of them, by incisions, into which they convey a black unchangeable ink, make the figures of bears, deer, moose, wolves, eagles, hawks, &c, which were indelible, and generally lasted as long as they lived.”  Not content with their own art of embellishment, however, he says, in a note, “Since they have been furnished with paints from Europe, they daub their faces with vermillion, and sometimes with blue, green, and other colours.”  Colden observes of the five nations of Canada, that their faces were always painted in a frightful manner when they went out to war, “to make themselves terrible to their enemies.”  Neal, speaking of the New Englanders, says,—­“They grease their bodies and hair very often, and paint themselves all over; their faces and shoulders with a deep red, and their bodies with a variety of ugly mishapen figures; and he is the bravest fellow that has the most frightful forms drawn upon him, and looks most terrible.”  Again, describing their diversions, “If the dancers or actors are to shew warlike postures, then they come in painted for war, some with their faces red, and some black; some black and red, with streaks of white; under their eyes, as they imagine will appear most terrible.”  Captain Carver gives a similar account of the tribes he saw.—­E.]

The houses of Savu are all built upon the same plan, and differ only in size, being large in proportion to the rank and riches of the proprietor.  Some are four hundred feet long, and some are not more than twenty:  They are all raised upon posts, or piles, about four feet high, one end of which is driven into the ground, and upon the other end is laid a substantial floor of wood, so that there is a vacant space of four feet between the floor of the house and the ground.  Upon this floor are placed other posts or pillars, that Support a roof of sloping sides, which meet in a ridge at the top, like those of our barns:  The eaves of this roof, which is thatched with palm-leaves, reach within two feet of the floor, and overhang it as much:  The space within is generally divided lengthwise into three equal parts; the middle part,