Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/207

1769 also put patches on any part which may be thinner than the rest, generally finishing their work, if intended to be of the best kind, by pasting a complete covering of the finest thin cloth or hoboo over the whole. They sometimes make a thick cloth also of only half-worn cloth, which, having been worn by cleanly people, is not soiled enough to require washing: of this it is sufficient to paste the edges together. The thick cloth made in either of these ways is used either for the garment called maro, which is a long piece passed between the legs and round the waist, and which serves instead of breeches, or as the tebuta, a garment used equally by both sexes instead of a coat or gown, which exactly resembles that worn by the inhabitants of Peru and Chili, and is called by the Spaniards poncho.

The cloth itself, both thick and thin, resembles the finest cottons, in softness especially, in which property it even exceeds them; its delicacy (for it tears by the smallest accident) makes it impossible that it can ever be used in Europe, indeed it is properly adapted to a hot climate. I used it to sleep in very often in the islands, and always found it far cooler than any English cloth.

Having thus described their manner of making the cloth, I shall proceed to their method of dyeing. They use principally two colours, red and yellow. The first of these is most beautiful, I might venture to say a more delicate colour than any we have in Europe, approaching, however, most nearly to scarlet. The second is a good bright colour, but of no particular excellence. They also on some occasions dye the cloth brown and black, but so seldom that I had no opportunity during my stay of seeing the method, or of learning the materials which they make use of. I shall therefore say no more of these colours than that they were so indifferent in their qualities that they did not much raise my curiosity to inquire concerning them.

To begin then with the red, in favour of which I shall premise that I believe no voyager has passed through these seas but that he has said something in praise of this colour, the brightness and elegance of which is so great that it