47. CHAPTER XLVII.
HOW THEY DRESS IN TAHITI.
Except where the employment of making “tappa” is inflicted
as a punishment, the echoes of the cloth-mallet have
long since died away in the listless valleys of Tahiti. Formerly,
the girls spent their mornings like ladies at their tambour
frames; now, they are lounged away in almost utter indolence.
True, most of them make their own garments; but this comprises
but a stitch or two; the ladies of the mission, by the by,
being entitled to the credit of teaching them to sew.
The “kihee whihenee,” or petticoat, is a mere breadth of
white cotton, or calico; loosely enveloping the person, from
the waist to the feet. Fastened simply, by a single tuck, or by
twisting the upper corners together, this garment frequently
becomes disordered; thus affording an opportunity of being
coquettishly adjusted. Over the “kihee,” they wear a sort of
gown, open in front, very loose, and as negligent as you please.
The ladies here, never dress for dinner.
But what shall be said of those horrid hats! Fancy a bunch
of straw, plaited into the shape of a coal-scuttle, and stuck,
bolt upright, on the crown; with a yard or two of red ribbon,
flying about like kite-strings. Milliners of Paris, what would
ye say to them! Though made by the natives, they are said
to have been first contrived and recommended by the missionaries'
wives; a report, which, I really trust, is nothing but
scandal.
Curious to relate, these things for the head, are esteemed
exceedingly becoming. The braiding of the straw is one of
the few employments of the higher classes; all of which, but
minister to the silliest vanity. The young girls, however,
wholly eschew the hats; leaving those dowdy old souls, their
mothers, to make frights of themselves.
As for the men, those who aspire to European garments,
seem to have no perception of the relation subsisting between
the various parts of a gentleman's costume. To the wearer of
a coat, for instance, pantaloons are by no means indispensable;
and, a bell-crowned hat and a girdle, are full dress. The
young sailor, for whom Kooloo deserted me, presented him
with a shaggy old pea-jacket; and, with this buttoned up to
his chin, under a tropical sun, he promenaded the Broom
Road, quite elated. Doctor Long Ghost, who saw him thus,
ran away with the idea, that he was under medical treatment
at the time—in the act of taking, what the quacks call, a
“sweat.”
A bachelor friend of Captain Bob rejoiced in the possession
of a full European suit; in which he often stormed the ladies'
hearts. Having a military leaning, he ornamented the coat
with a great scarlet patch on the breast; and mounted it also,
here and there, with several regimental buttons, slyly cut from
the uniform of a parcel of drunken marines, sent ashore on a
holyday from a man-of-war. But, in spite of the ornaments, the
dress was not exactly the thing. From the tightness of the
cloth across the shoulders, his elbows projected from his sides,
like an ungainly rider's; and his ponderous legs were jammed
so hard into his slim, nether garments, that the threads of
every seam showed; and, at every step, you looked for a
catastrophe.
In general, there seems to be no settled style of dressing
among the males: they wear any thing they can get; in
some cases, awkwardly modifying the fashions of their fathers,
so as to accord with their own altered views of what is
becoming.
But ridiculous as many of them now appear, in foreign
habiliments, the Tahitians presented a far different appearance
in the original national costume; which was graceful in
the extreme, modest to all but the prudish, and peculiarly
adapted to the climate. But the short kilts of dyed tappa, the
tasseled maroes, and other articles formerly worn, are, at the
present day, prohibited by law, as indecorous. For what
reason necklaces and garlands of flowers, among the women,
are also forbidden, I never could learn; but, it is said, that
they were associated, in some way, with a forgotten heathen
observance.
Many pleasant, and, seemingly, innocent sports and pastimes,
are likewise interdicted. In old times, there were several athletic
games practiced; such as wrestling, foot-racing, throwing
the javelin, and archery. In all these they greatly excelled;
and, for some, splendid festivals were instituted. Among their
everyday amusements, were dancing, tossing the football, kite-flying,
flute-playing, and singing traditional ballads; now, all
punishable offenses; though most of them have been so long
in disuse, that they are nearly forgotten.
In the same way, the “Opio,” or festive harvest-home of the
bread-fruit, has been suppressed; though, as described to me,
by Captain Bob, it seemed wholly free from any immoral
tendency. Against tattooing, of any kind, there is a severe
law.
That this abolition of their national amusements and customs,
was not willingly acquiesced in, is shown in the frequent
violation of many of the statutes inhibiting them; and, especially,
in the frequency with which their “hevars,” or dances,
are practiced in secret.
Doubtless, in thus denationalizing the Tahitians, as it were,
the missionaries were prompted by a sincere desire for good;
but the effect has been lamentable. Supplied with no amusements,
in place of those forbidden, the Tahitians, who require
more recreation than other people, have sunk into a listlessness,
or indulge in sensualities, a hundred times more pernicious,
than all the games ever celebrated in the Temple of
Tanee.
