The women showed an unusual amount of curiosity, and were much pleased at the notice taken of them, for, on examining the curious tattooing of one, others immediately pressed forwards to show me theirs, directing particular attention to the difference of patterns.  This practice of tattooing the body—­or marking it with colouring matter introduced into the skin by means of punctures or incisions—­is rarely exhibited by the men, and in them is usually confined to a few blue lines or stars upon the right breast; in some instances, however, the markings consisted of a double series of large stars and dots stretching from the shoulder toward the pit of the stomach.  Among the women the tattooing extends over the face, fore part of the arms, and whole front of body continued backwards a little way over the shoulders, usually, but not always, leaving the back untouched.  The pattern for the body consists of series of vertical stripes less than an inch apart, connected by zigzag and other markings—­that over the face is more complicated, and on the forearm and wrist it is frequently so elaborate as to assume the appearance of beautiful lace-work.

DRESS OF THE FEMALES.

Unlike the men—­whose only article of dress consists of a small breech-cloth of pandanus leaf passing between the legs, and secured before and behind to a string or other girdle round the waist—­the females wear petticoats (noge) of the same leaf, divided into long grass-like shreds, reaching to the knee.  That worn by the girls consists merely of single lengths made fast to a string which ties round the waist; but the women wear a larger and thicker kind of petticoat, composed of three layers of different degrees of fineness and lengths, forming as many flounces, the upper one of more finely divided stuff, neatly plaited above, over a girdle of the same tough bark (barrai) used in making their larger kinds of rope.  Two or three of these petticoats are usually worn one over the other, and in cold or wet weather the outer one is untied and fastened round the neck, covering the upper part of the body like a cape or short cloak.  The hair of the women is also usually but not invariably twisted up into thrums like those of a mop, a style of dressing it here peculiar to the female sex.

Many pigs were running about the village—­small in size, lean and long legged, usually black, with coarse bristles—­also two or three dogs, similar to those seen at Brierly Island.  One young woman was seen carrying about in her arms and fondling a very young pig—­an incident which afforded us as much amusement as a lady’s lap-dog, with one end of a ribbon round its neck and the other attached to a wasp-waisted damsel, would have caused among these utilitarian savages.

NATIVE HUTS.