It Is Therefore More Than
Probable That Erronan Was Peopled From That Nation, And That By Long
Intercourse With Tanna And The Other Neighbouring Islands, Each Had Learnt
The Other's Language, Which They Use Indiscriminately.
The other language which the people of Tanna speak, and, as we understood,
those of Erromango and Annatom, is properly their own.
It is different from
any we had before met with, and bears no affinity to that of Mallicollo; so
that, it should seem, the people of these islands are a distinct nation of
themselves. Mallicollo, Apee, &c. were names entirely unknown to them; they
even knew nothing of Sandwich Island, which is much nearer. I took no small
pains to know how far their geographical knowledge extended; and did not
find that it exceeded the limits of their horizon.[3]
These people are of the middle size, rather slender than otherwise; many
are little, but few tall or stout; the most of them have good features, and
agreeable countenances; are, like all the tropical race, active and nimble;
and seem to excel in the use of arms, but not to be fond of labour. They
never would put a hand to assist in any work we were carrying on, which the
people of the other islands used to delight in. Bat what I judge most from,
is their making the females do the most laborious work, as if they were
pack-horses. I have seen a woman carrying a large bundle on her back, or a
child on her back and a bundle under her arm, and a fellow strutting before
her with nothing but a club or spear, or some such thing. We have
frequently observed little troops of women pass, to and fro, along the
beach, laden with fruit and roots, escorted by a party of men under arms;
though, now and then, we have seen a man carry a burden at the same time,
but not often. I know not on what account this was done, nor that an armed
troop was necessary. At first, we thought they were moving out of the
neighbourhood with their effects, but we afterwards saw them both carry
out, and bring in, every day.
I cannot say the women are beauties, but I think them handsome enough for
the men, and too handsome for the use that is made of them. Both sexes are
of a very dark colour, but not black; nor have they the least
characteristic of the negro about them. They make themselves blacker than
they really are, by painting their faces with a pigment of the colour of
black-lead. They also use another sort which is red, and a third sort
brown, or a colour between red and black. All these, but especially the
first, they lay on with a liberal hand, not only on the face, but on the
neck, shoulders, and breast. The men wear nothing but a belt, and the
wrapping leaf as at Mallicollo. The women have a kind of petticoat made of
the filaments of the plantain-tree, flags, or some such thing, which
reaches below the knee.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 378 of 461
Words from 196218 to 196741
of 239428
