on the inside of their fingers. The men would think it very indecent not to be tattowed, because though in battle they wear nothing but the mahi, they appear by this means to be dressed, without having the incumbrance of clothing. It is a curious circumstance, that at the Fiji islands, the men, on the contrary, are not tattowed, but the women are. The operation is managed by their own sex, though by no means to that extent to which it is performed on the Tonga men, contenting themselves chiefly with having it done on the nates in form of a large circular patch, though sometimes in that of a crescent; and most of them have it also done on the labia pudendi, consisting of one line of dots on each side, just within the verge of the external labia.

We cannot with certainty say that the glandular ulcerations above alluded to are always produced by the tattów, though in all likelihood, when it has recently been performed, it is the exciting cause; but the people are very subject to scrofulous indurations, glandular enlargements, and ulcers: they call the disease cahi; the parts affected are the groins, axillæ, and neck; though many other parts of the body are also liable to ulcers, which they call palla. These diseases sometimes run on to such

an extent, and assume such appearances, that we believe some travellers have mistaken them for lues venerea. It is certain that some individuals affected with palla have been obliged to submit to the loss of a nose, the cartilaginous and softer parts of that organ becoming completely destroyed: it must be also mentioned at the same time, that the natives are subject to gonorrhoeal discharges, attended with ardor urinæ. All these circumstances appear very equivocal: but Mr. Mariner has every reason to believe that the venereal disease did not exist under any form, either at the Hapai islands or Vavaoo, during the time that he was there; although, to his certain knowledge, three of the survivors of the Port au Prince's crew had gonorrhoeas at the time the ship was taken, one of whom had brought it from England, and the other two had contracted it at the Sandwich islands. Several others of the ship's company had also venereal affections: but they fell in the general massacre on board. In the first place we must observe, in respect to those labouring under the diseases called cahi and palla, that the complaints are either not venereal, or that the venereal disease subsides in them, and the constitution cures itself spontaneously. 2dly, That the organs of generation are never affected pre

viously to the more general disease coming on. 3dly, That these diseases are not known to be, or believed to be contracted by sexual intercourse. 4thly, That though these diseases in some constitutions produce fatal consequences, yet very frequently the appetite and strength, and fulness of flesh, remain much the same as if no disease existed, though this happens in palla more than in cahi. In respect to the gonorrhoeas to which they are subject, they are for the most part very mild in their symptoms, and get well in a few days; besides which, they are not capable of being communicated between the sexes, or at least this is not known or believed to be the case. In regard to the three men of the Port au Prince's crew, they got well without exactly knowing when or how: for the consternation occasioned by the capture of the ship and the destruction of their countrymen, and the alarm and state of anxiety in which they were for at least two or three days, had produced such a change in the constitution, or at least in the disease, that it had actually got well before they were aware of it. Mr. Mariner enquired among some of the oldest men if they had ever seen or heard of such a disease as syphilis or venereal gonorrhoea (describing the general character of it, and how it was communicated), and

learnt that a woman, a native of one of the Hapai islands, having had connexion with one of the inen belonging to a French ship, became on fire, (as they expressed it), and died afterwards in a very bad state: and this was all that he learned respecting what might reasonably be supposed to be true syphilis. Palla frequently gets well spontaneously but the remedies commonly used are scarification of the ulcered surface, powder of turmeric sprinkled over it, and sometimes a bitter vegetable juice dropped on it.

They have among them another kind of ulcerous disease, which they call tona, very distinct from the two last described, children being for the most part subject to it; and it is one of those diseases which only occur once during a person's life. The patient is first seized with general languor and debility, attended with loss of appetite: in a few days an eruption appears in different parts of the body, but particularly in the corners of the mouth, axillæ, groins, parts of generation, and anus; the pustules at first are exceedingly small, but at length increase to about half an inch in diameter; fungous excrescences grow out of them, exhibiting a granulated surface, and discharging a viscous fluid, which concretes round the edges. These pustules come also upon the soles of the

feet, and increase to a considerable size, giving very great pain: Mr. Mariner is not acquainted with the state of the pulse, &c. The disease generally lasts several months, and sometimes a couple of years. From the symptoms thus far described, there is not much doubt about its resemblance to what is called the yaws: the remedies they use for it are a certain bitter juice dropped into the ulcers, and rubbing off the fungous excrescences with cocoa-nut husk dipped in sea-water. They are subject also to a pustulous eruption, chiefly confined to the feet, but which sometimes affects the hands: it usually appears between the toes, and has in its external character a strong resemblance to psora, and itches very much: it appears in the form of small pustules with whitish heads, which, when rubbed off, generally discharge a watery fluid: it is supposed to arise from walking in clayey places without the opportunity of washing the feet afterwards it is not thought to be contagious: it usually lasts about four or five days. The name they give it is gno'wooa. They use no remedy.

They are also subject to a disease called food : but if we describe the symptoms of elephantiasis, we shall have related with tolerable accuracy the history of this disorder. Labillardiere no