1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Sd5 



minutes, when the whole body divided into two parts, 

 retreated a little, and then approached, forming a 

 sort of circular figure, which finished the dance; the 

 drums being removed, and the chorus going off the 

 field at the same time. 



The second dance had only two drums, with forty 

 men for a chorus; and the dancers, or rather actors, 

 consisted of two ranks, the foremost having seven- 

 teen, and the other fifteen persons. Feenou was at 

 their head, or in the middle of the front rank, which 

 is the principal place in these cases. They danced 

 and recited sentences, with some very short intervals, 

 for about half an hour, sometimes quickly, sometimes 

 more slowly, but with such a degree of exactness, as 

 if all the motions were made by one man, which did 

 them great credit. Near the close, the back rank 

 divided, came round, and took the place of the front, 

 which again resumed its situation, as in the first 

 dance; and when they finished, the drums and 

 chorus, as before, went off. 



Three drums (which at least, took two, and some- 

 times three men to carry them) were now brought 

 in ; and seventy men sat down as a chorus to 

 the third dance. This consisted of two ranks, of 

 sixteen persons each, with young Toobou at their 

 head, who was richlv ornamented with a sort of 

 garment covered with red feathers. These danced, 

 sung, and twirled the pagge, as before ; but in ge- 

 neral, much quicker, and performed so well, that 

 they had the constant applauses of the spectators. 

 A motion that met with particular approbation, was 

 one in which they held the face aside, as if ashamed, 

 and the pagge before it. The back rank closed 

 before the front one, and that again resumed its 

 place, as in the two former dances; but then they 

 began again, formed a triple row, divided, retreated 

 to each end of the area, and left the greatest part of 

 the ground clear. At that instant, two men entered 

 very hastily, and exercised the clubs which they 



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