modest cincture, around the waist. Thus arrayed they no longer
hesitated, but flung themselves lightly over the bulwarks, and
were quickly frolicking about the decks. Many of them went
forward, perching upon the headrails or running out upon the
bowsprit, while others seated themselves upon the taffrail, or
reclined at full length upon the boats. What a sight for us
bachelor sailors! How avoid so dire a temptation? For who could
think of tumbling these artless creatures overboard, when they
had swum miles to welcome us?

Their appearance perfectly amazed me; their extreme youth, the
light clear brown of their complexions, their delicate features,
and inexpressibly graceful figures, their softly moulded limbs,
and free unstudied action, seemed as strange as beautiful.

The Dolly was fairly captured; and never I will say was vessel
carried before by such a dashing and irresistible party of
boarders! The ship taken, we could not do otherwise than yield
ourselves prisoners, and for the whole period that she remained
in the bay, the Dolly, as well as her crew, were completely in
the hands of the mermaids.

In the evening after we had come to an anchor the deck was
illuminated with lanterns, and this picturesque band of sylphs,
tricked out with flowers, and dressed in robes of variegated
tappa, got up a ball in great style. These females are
passionately fond of dancing, and in the wild grace and spirit of
the style excel everything I have ever seen. The varied dances
of the Marquesan girls are beautiful in the extreme, but there is
an abandoned voluptuousness in their character which I dare not