354 cook's VOYAGE TO JUNE, 



operation must be difficult. This instrument is called 

 naffa ; and, with the chink turned toward them, they 

 sit and beat strongly upon it with two cylindrical pieces 

 of hard wood about a foot long, and as thick as the 

 wrist ; by which means they produce a rude, though 

 loud and powerful sound. They vary the strength 

 and rate of their beating at different parts of the 

 dance ; and also change the tones by beating in the 

 middle, or near the end of their drum. 



The first dance consisted of four ranks, of twenty- 

 four men each, holding in their hands a little, thin, 

 light, wooden instrument, above two feet long, and 

 in shape not unlike a small oblong paddle. With 

 these, which are called pagge, they made a great 

 many different motions ; such as pointing them 

 toward the ground on one side, at the same time 

 inclining their bodies that way, from which they 

 were shifted to the opposite side in the same man- 

 ner ; then passing them quickly from one hand to 

 the other, and twirling them about very dexterously; 

 with a variety of other manoeuvres, all which were 

 accompanied by corresponding attitudes of the body. 

 Their motions were at first slow, but quickened as 

 the drums beat faster; and they recited sentences, 

 in a musical tone the whole time, which were an- 

 swered by the chorus; but at the end of a short 

 space they all joined, and finished with a shout. 



After ceasing about two or three minutes, they 

 began as before, and continued, with short inter- 

 vals, above a quarter of an hour; when the rear 

 rank dividing, shifted themselves very slowly round 

 each end, and, meeting in the front, formed the 

 first rank; the whole number continuing to recite 

 the sentences as before. The other ranks did the 

 same successively, till that which at first was the 

 front, became the rear; and the evolution conti- 

 nued, in the same manner, till the last rank regained 

 its first situation. They then began a much quicker 

 dance (though slow at first), and sung for about ten 



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