330 A NATURALIST ON THE " CHALLENGER." 



The dancing consisted in most varied motions of the head, 

 arms, body, and legs, the same motions exactly being gone 

 through by every member of the circle in most perfect time. 

 At one time the head and shoulders were bent forward, and the 

 hands swung clapping together, at the same time as short side 

 steps were made, carrying the performers round in the circle. 

 Then a half-squatting position was suddenly assumed and the 

 head was thrown first on to one shoulder, then the other. Then 

 the performers would move on again, and stretch their arms out 

 with a fixed gaze, as if shooting with the bow. The motions 

 were none of them very quick, and none very fantastic. 



The men wore fringes of various kinds, hanging from round 

 their waists, mostly a combination of the yellow and red Panda- 

 nus leaf strips and the black fibrous girdles of the fungus 

 (Rhizomorpha). Most of them had also fringes of Rhizomnrpha 

 just below the knee, often with beads strung upon them. All 

 had their bodies well covered with cocoanut oil, and their hair 

 trimmed with great care. 



Bv the time the first dance was over, there was a dense 

 concourse of spectators round the .Green. The missionary 

 arrived, a table was set out under a tree opposite the chiefs 

 house, and three native teachers, two of them Tongan men, sat 

 behind it to receive the money. The inhabitants of the various 

 villages and smaller districts now advanced in separate troops, 

 walking up in single file to the table and throwing down, each 

 man or woman, their contributions upon it, with as loud a rattle 



as possible. 



As each contribution fell, the three teachers and some of the 

 members of a further large body of teachers from the college, 

 who were squatting close by, shouted " Vinaka, vinaka " (slowly), 

 " Vinaka, vinaka, vinaka" (quickly), which means "good, good," 

 or "hear, hear." Many bystanders joined in the applause. 

 The money consisted of all sorts of silver coins, and a very few 

 copper ones, and over £100 must have been collected in coin. 



The people of the various villages, and the districts subject 

 to the chiefs of these, prepare dances for this yearly occasion for 

 many months, and they vie with one another in the splendour 

 and perfection of the performance. As each band came up and 



