1777* THE pacific OCEAN. 313" 



amusements of our friends, seems to have a great 

 share in effecting the exact time they keep in their 

 performances. For we observed, that if any of them 

 happened accidentally to be interrupted, they never 

 found the smallest difficulty in recovering the proper 

 place of the dance or song. And their perfect dis- 

 cipline was, in no instance, more remarkable, than 

 in the sudden transitions, they so dexterously made 

 from the ruder exertions, and harsh sounds, to the 

 softest arts and gentlest movements.* 



The place where the dances were performed, was 

 an open space amongst the trees, just by the sea, 

 with lights, at small intervals, placed round the inside 

 of the circle. The concourse of people was pretty 

 large, though not equal to the number assembled in 

 the forenoon, when the marines exercised. At that 

 time, some of our gentlemen guessed there might 

 be present about rive thousand persons ; others 

 thought there were more ; but they who reckoned 

 that there were fewer, probably came nearer to 

 the truth. 



* In a former note, at p. 258. it was observed, that the songs 

 and dances of the Caroline Islanders, in the north Pacific, bear a 

 great resemblance to those of the inhabitants of Wateeoo. The 

 remark may be now extended to those of the Friendly Islanders, 

 described at large in this chapter. That the reader may judge for 

 himself, I have selected the following particulars from Father 

 Cantova's account. " Pendant la nuit, au clair de la lune, ils 

 s'assemblent, de temps en temps, pour chanter et danser devant 

 la maison de leur Tamole. Leurs danses se font au son de la 

 voix, car ils n'ont point d'instrument de musique. La beaute 

 de la danse, consiste dans l'exacte uniformite des mouvemens 

 du corps. Les hommes, separes des femmes, se postent vis- 

 a-vis les uns des autres ; aprSs quoi, ils remuent la tete, les bras, 

 les mains, les pieds, en cadence. Leur tete est couverte de 

 plumes, ou de fleurs ; et Ton voit, attachees a leurs oreilles, 

 des feuilles de palmier tissues avec assez d'art. Les femmes, de 

 leur c6te, se regardant les unes les autres, commencent un 

 chant pathetique et langoureux, accompagnant le son de leur 

 voix du mouvement cadence de la tete et des bras." Lettres 

 Edifiantes Sf Curieuses, torn. xv. p. 314, 315. 



