300 AVOYAGETO 



'777- and as the entertainments which he had then exhibited for 



June. 



our amufement, called upon us to make feme exhibition m 

 our way, I ordered the party of marines to go through their 

 exercife, on the fpot where his dances had been performed ; 

 and, in the evening, played off fome fireworks at the fame 

 place. Poulaho, with all the principal Chiefs, and a grpat 

 number of people, of all denominations, were prefent. The 

 platoon firing, which was executed tolerably well, feemed 

 to give them pleafure ; but they were loft in aftonifliment 

 when they beheld our water rockets. They paid but little 

 attention to the fife and drum, or French horns, that played 

 during the intervals. The king fat behind every body, 

 becaufe no one is allowed to fie behind him; and, that 

 his view might not be obftruded, nobody fat immedi- 

 ately before him j but a lane, as it were, was made by the 

 people from him, quite down to the fpace allotted for the 

 fireworks. 



In expedlation of this evening fliew, the circle of natives 

 about our tent being pretty large, they engaged, the greateft 

 part of the afternoon, in boxing and wrefdin'g ; the firft of 

 which exercifes they call fangatooa, and the fecond foohoo. 

 When any of them choofes to wreftle, he gets up from one 

 fide of the ring, and crofiTes the ground in a fort of mea- 

 fured pace, clapping fmartly on the elbow joint of one arm, 

 v/hich is bent, and produces a hollow found ; that is rec- 

 koned the challenge. If no perfon comes out from the oppo- 

 fite fide to engage him, he returns, in the fame manner, and 

 fits down ; but fometimes Hands clapping, in the midft of 

 the ground, to provoke fome one to come out. If an 

 opponent appear, they come together with marks of the 

 greateft good-nature, generally fmiling, and taking time to 

 adjuft the piece of cloth which is faftened round the waift. 

 ^ They 



