31 6 cook's voyage to may, 



which were answered by the chorus; and, at intervals, 

 increased the measure of the dance, by clapping the 

 hands, and quickening the motions of the feet, which, 

 however, were never varied. At the end, the rapidity 

 of the music, and of the dancing, increased so much, 

 that it was scarcely possible to distinguish the dif- 

 ferent movements; though one might suppose the 

 actors were now almost tired, as their performance 

 had lasted near half an hour. 



After a considerable interval, another act as we 

 may call it, began. Twelve men now advanced, 

 who placed themselves in double rows fronting each 

 other, but on opposite sides of the circle ; and, on 

 one side a man was stationed, who, as if he had been 

 a prompter, repeated several sentences, to which the 

 twelve new performers, and the chorus, replied. 

 They then sung slowly ; and afterward danced and 

 sung more quickly, for about a quarter of an hour, 

 after the manner of the dancers whom they had 

 succeeded. 



Soon after they had finished, nine women exhibited 

 themselves, and sat down fronting the hut where the 

 chief was. A man then rose, and struck the first of 

 these women on the back, with both fists joined. He 

 proceeded, in the same manner, to the second and 

 third; but when he came to the fourth, whether 

 from accident or design I cannot tell, instead of the 

 back, he struck her on the breast. Upon this, a 

 person rose instantly from the crowd, who brought 

 him to the ground with a blow on the head; and he 

 was carried off without the least noise or disorder. 

 But this did not save the other five women from so 

 odd a discipline, or perhaps necessary ceremony; for 

 a person succeeded him, who treated them in the 

 same manner. Their disgrace did not end here; for 

 when they danced, they had the mortification to find 

 their performance, twice disapproved of, and were 

 obliged to repeat it. This dance did not differ much 

 from that of the first women, except in this one cir- 

 cumstance, that the present set, sometimes raised the 



