their wrists; so Fayaway and her companions were in the habit of
ornamenting themselves with similar appendages.

Flora was their jeweller. Sometimes they wore necklaces of small
carnation flowers, strung like rubies upon a fibre of tappa, or
displayed in their ears a single white bud, the stem thrust
backward through the aperture, and showing in front the delicate
petals folded together in a beautiful sphere, and looking like a
drop of the purest pearl. Chaplets too, resembling in their
arrangement the strawberry coronal worn by an English peeress,
and composed of intertwined leaves and blossoms, often crowned
their temples; and bracelets and anklets of the same tasteful
pattern were frequently to be seen. Indeed, the maidens of the
island were passionately fond of flowers, and never wearied of
decorating their persons with them; a lovely trait in their
character, and one that ere long will be more fully alluded to.

Though in my eyes, at least, Fayaway was indisputably the
loveliest female I saw in Typee, yet the description I have given
of her will in some measure apply to nearly all the youthful
portion of her sex in the valley. Judge ye then, reader, what
beautiful creatures they must have been.



CHAPTER TWELVE

OFFICIOUSNESS OF KORY-KORY--HIS DEVOTION--A BATH IN THE
STREAM--WANT OF REFINEMENT OF THE TYPEE DAMSELS--STROLL WITH
MEHEVI--A TYPEE HIGHWAY--THE TABOO GROVES--THE HOOLAH HOOLAH