Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/240

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highly offended. On deck he saw some of our servants folding up linen which had been hung out to dry, and immediately seized on a table-cloth; but this being taken from him, his passion was at the highest pitch, he stamped, threatened, then grumbled, or rather grunted awhile, and at last became so sullen that he would not speak a word. The impatient temper of this nation never appeared more distinctly than in this boy's conduct; but at the same time we had room to consider, seeing the effect of strong liquors upon him, how fortunate it was that they were used to no kind of intoxicating draught, which would perhaps serve to make their temper still more fierce and ungovernable than it is at present.

About thirty natives surrounded us in several canoes the next morning, and brought a few of their tools and weapons to sell, for which they received great quantities of our goods in exchange, owing to the eagerness with which our crews outbid each other. There were a number of women among them, whose lips were of a blackish blue colour, by punctuation; and their cheeks were painted of a lively red, with a mixture of ruddle and oil. Like those at Dusky Bay, they commonly had slender and bandy legs, with large knees; defects which evidently are deducible from the little exercise they use, and their mode of sitting cross-legged and cramped up almost perpetually in canoes. Their colour was of a clear brown, between the olive and