other females we saw, the young queen wore nothing but a piece of yellow linen (likú), about five feet long, round her loins, which reached to her knees, and was attached by one extremity to the haunch. Her splendid black hair was adorned with a chaplet of yellow flowers, and her body, smeared with cocoa-nut oil, was plentifully besprinkled with turmeric (called by the natives Kitschi-néang). Her legs and forearms were beautifully tattooed.
The gown, or rather apron, worn by the men is made of the fresh leaves of the cocoa-palm, which, bleached and cut into narrow strips, are fastened at the upper end with a string, and then adorned with numerous flaps of red cloth. This gown stretches from the hips to about the knees, and is about two feet long. To be in the fashion at Puynipet, a dandy must wear at least six of these round his body! The ladies of the island stain white calico with turmeric, yellow being apparently the favourite colour of the country. A bright-coloured light handkerchief usually covers the upper part of the body, and they adorn their long beautiful black tresses with the delicate flowers of the cocoa-palm. On high days the ladies wear red clothes hemmed with white calico. Such of the natives, however, as are converted to Christianity, appear in clothes made after the European fashion, although many a part of dress would still have to be remedied, ere a native of Puynipet or his better half would be presentable in a saloon.
Men and women alike are tattooed from the loins to the
ancles, and from the elbows to the wrist. This curious practice is performed on both sexes at from ten to twelve years of age by old women, with whom it is a regular profession. The blue colouring matter used is obtained from the abundant nut-like fruit of the Aleurites triloba, which they heat on the fire, and then peel off the hard crust which forms upon it. The operation is performed with the sharp point of a species of pine, or with a pointed instrument[193] made from fish-bone, which is placed upon the skin, when it is driven in with a slight blow, till the whole design comes out upon the body. Besides the turmeric already mentioned, we saw but one colouring stuff, dyeing red, which seemed to be obtained from Bixa Orellana, and is used by the natives to paint their canoes with.
Many of the natives are subject to a very disgusting scaly eruption of the skin (Ichthyosis), but do not seem to feel any discomfort from it. Some travellers ascribe this to the immoderate use as an article of diet of raw uncooked fish. It is singular that this malady is found on all the islands near the equator, and was also found by Captain Cheyne among the Pellew Islanders. That shrewd observer once had on board for four months a native of Puynipet as servant, whose whole body was covered with this eruption, but who speedily lost every trace of it as soon as his chief diet was salt meat and vegetables. Beside this cuticular
malady, the natives are greatly afflicted with scurvy and intermittent fever. Most of their infants too suffer from Yaws[194] (Framboesia), a disgusting eruption, called by the natives "Keutsch," which, however, disappears when the child has attained about its third or fourth year. The marks left by this malady when cicatrized might easily be mistaken for those of inoculation.
The Nannekin, although the king of his tribe, nevertheless seemed on the whole to exercise but little influence over his subjects. Thus, for example, we were eye-witnesses of how he vainly attempted to induce two native boys to carry our bananas as far as our place of disembarkation. On the other hand, in all that concerned trading with foreigners he seemed to be thoroughly alive to his own interest. One native who was driving a bargain with us for something, was informed forthwith of the value which the Nannekin assigned to it.
Money is as yet but little used at Puynipet as a medium of exchange, only the whites resident there and the chiefs take a few English and United States coins; and many a native would generally not part for a silver dollar from an object which he will readily give for a piece of chewing tobacco or a common knife. The most useful articles for barter are pieces of bright-coloured calico, red shirts, hatchets, knives,
axes, straight swords, muskets, ammunition, biscuit, old clothes, and tobacco.[195]
Of the latter article American Cavendish or negro-head in longish pieces is the most in repute. The Puynipetanese have no special fondness for cigars, nor do they use pipes, but only chew passionately tobacco. As they are unacquainted with the use of the Betel, their teeth are universally beautiful, and of a brilliant white.