212 NATIVE DANCES. 



lieturning' to our visitors : — the fiddle^ fife^ and 

 drum ^vere put in requisition^ and a dance g-ot up to 

 amuse them. The women could not be persuaded 

 to join^ but two of the men treated us to one of theu' 

 own dances^ each having- been previously furnished 

 with a native drum or baiaffi. Thev advanced and 

 retreated tog-ether by sudden jerks^ beating* to quick 

 or slow time as required^ and chaunting* an accom- 

 panying- song'^ the cadence rising* and falling- accord- 

 ing* to the action. The attitude was a sing*ular one — 

 the back straig'ht^ chin protruded^ knees bent in a 

 crouching* position^ and the arms advanced; on 

 another occasion^ one of the same men exhibited 

 himself before us in a war dance. In one hand he 

 held a larg*e Avooden shield^ nearly three feet in 

 leno'th and rather more than one in width, and in 

 the other a formidable looking* weapon two feet in 

 leng'th — a portion of the snout of a saw-iish with long- 

 sharp teeth projecting* on each side. Placing- himself 

 in a crouching* attitude^ with one hand covered by 

 the shield^ and holding* his weapon in a position to 

 strike^ he advanced rapidly in a succession of short 

 bounds^ striking- the inner side of the shield with his 

 left knee ateach jerk^ causing* the larg*e cowries hung- 

 round his waist and ankles to rattle violentlv. At 

 the same time Avith fierce o-estures he loudlv chaunted 

 a song- of defiance. The remainder of the panto- 

 mime was expressive of attack and defence^ and 

 exultation after victory. But a still more curious 

 dance was one performed a few nig-hts ag-o by a party 



