54* cook's first voyage march, 



rated staff, or weapon, directed the rest of the people 

 what they should do. When they were at too great 

 a distance to reach us with a lance or a stone, they 

 presumed that we had no weapon with which we 

 could reach them ; here then the defiance was given, 

 and the words were almost universally the same, 

 Haromai, haromai, harre uta a patoo-patoo oge : 

 " Come to us, come on shore, and we will kill you all 

 with our patoo-patoos. ,, While they were uttering 

 these menaces, they came gradually nearer and 

 nearer, till they were close alongside ; talking at in- 

 tervals in a peaceable strain, and answering any 

 questions that we asked them ; and at intervals re- 

 newing their defiance and threats, till being encou- 

 raged by our apparent timidity, they began their 

 war-song and dance, as a prelude to an attack, which 

 always followed, and was sometimes continued till it 

 became absolutely necessary to repress them by firing 

 some small shot ; and sometimes ended after throw- 

 ing a few stones on board, as if content with having 

 offered us an insult, which we did not dare to re- 

 venge. 



The war-dance consists of a great variety of vio- 

 lent motions, and hideous contortions of the limbs, 

 during which the countenance also performs its part : 

 the tongue is frequently thrust out to an incredible 

 length, and the eye-lids so forcibly drawn up, that the 

 white appears both above and below, as well as on 

 each side of the iris, so as to form a circle round it ; 

 nor is any thing neglected that can render the human 

 shape frightful and deformed : at the same time they 

 brandish their spears, shake their darts, and cleave 

 the air with their patoo-patoos. This horrid dance 

 is always accompanied by a song ; it is wild, indeed, 

 but not disagreeable, and every strain ends in a loud 

 and deep sigh, which they utter in concert. In the 

 motions of the dance, however horrid, there is a 

 strength, firmness, and agility, which we could not 

 but behold with admiration ; and in their song they 



