A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

of it. A nation of women, we may confidently say, is as much a chimera, as a nation of two-headedmen; and that individual has little acquaintance with herself that knows not, there is an insuperableobjection to so anomalous an occurrence. With whatever abuses of authority, therefore, the other sexmay be chargeable, it is not to be denied, that they assert their superiority on the ground of naturalconstitution, and that they cannot be considered as usurpers. Admitting this, it is important toenquire, what is the principle common to both, on which their mutual welfare depends, and which isas certainly violated by unfeeling rigour on one side, as by peevish rebellion on the other. Severalprinciples might be mentioned, claiming in part this distinction, but none will answer all theconditions, except a right sense of their entire and common dependence on the source of their beingand judge of their conduct, which is indeed the essence of religion and morality. It is vain, in fact, todetermine almost any thing respecting such a creature as man, but by reasons of an eternal nature,and referring to the laws of an invisible world. Every system of an inferior kind, will be foundinadequate in its application, and unsatisfactory in its sanctions--calculated, it may be, to amuse thephilosopher in his closet, and attract the admiration of young and inexperienced minds, but too weakto sustain the shock of human passions, and too circumscribed to reach the heights of human hopesand fears. The condition of women improves, undoubtedly, as a people advances towardscivilization; but there is a period in the process, at which voluptuousness, more cruel thanindifference, and often maddened by jealousy, subjects her to greater degradation than her originalinsignificance, and destroys all hope of her amelioration in the tyranny of her own licentiousness. Itis only where the principle alluded to, is publicly recognised in the civil institutions of a country, andconscientiously reverenced by the piety of its citizens, that she attains the true dignity of her destinyin an equal subordination, and vindicates the benevolence of the Deity in her creation, by theincrease of happiness she confers on her consort. This cannot be looked for in a state of nature.--E.Were I to judge of the origin of this nation, I should take them to be a race between the people of Tannaand of the Friendly Isles, or between those of Tanna and the New Zealanders, or all three; their language,in some respects, being a mixture of them all. In their disposition they are like the natives of the FriendlyIsles; but in affability and honesty they excel them.Notwithstanding their pacific inclination they must sometimes have wars, as they are well provided withoffensive weapons, such as clubs, spears, darts, and slings for throwing stones. The clubs are about twofeet and a half long, and variously formed; some like a scythe, others like a pick- axe; some have a headlike an hawk, and others have round heads, but all are neatly made. Many of their darts and spears are noless neat, and ornamented with carvings. The slings are as simple as possible; but they take some pains toform the stones that they use into a proper shape, which is something like an egg, supposing both ends tobe like the small one.[2] They use a becket, in the same manner as at Tanna, in throwing the dart, which, Ibelieve, is much used in striking fish, &c. In this they seem very dexterous; nor, indeed, do I know thatthey have any other method of catching large fish, for I neither saw hooks nor lines among them.[2] "These slings consisted of a slender round cord, no thicker than a packthread, which had a tasselat one end, and a loop at the other end and in the middle. The stones which they used were oblong,and pointed at each end, being made of a soft and unctuous soap-rock (smectitis), which could easilybe rubbed into that shape. These exactly fitted the loop in the middle of the sling, and were kept in awallet or pocket of coarse cloth, strongly woven, of a kind of grass, which was tied on about themiddle. Their shape gives them a striking resemblance to the glandes plumbeae of the Romans."--G.F.It is needless to mention their working-tools, as they are made of the same materials, and nearly in thesame manner, as at the other islands. Their axes, indeed, are a little different; some, at least, which may beowing to fancy as much as custom.