THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 143 



perfectly eafy and graceful; and fo far they are the fame JJ779. 

 with the dances of the Society Illands. When this has lafted «— ^— 1-» 

 about ten minutes, both the tune and the motions gradu- 

 ally quicken, and end only by their inability to fupport the 

 fatigue ; which part of the performance is the exact coun- 

 ter-part of that of the New Zealandcrs ; and (as it is among 

 them) the perfon who ufes the moM: violent action, and 

 holds out the longeft, is applauded as the bed dancer. It is 

 to be obferved, that, in this dance, the women only take a 

 part, and that the dancing of the men is nearly of the fame 

 kind with what we faw of the fmall parties at the Friendly 

 Illands; and which may, perhaps, with more propriety, be 

 called the accompaniment of fongs, with correfponding and 

 graceful motions of the whole body. Yet as we were fpec- 

 tators of boxing exhibitions, of the fame kind with thofe wc 

 were entertained with at the Friendly Illands, it is probable 

 that they had likewifc their grand ceremonious dances, in 

 which numbers of both fcxes aififted. 



Their mufic is alfo of a ruder kind, having neither flute3 

 nor reeds, nor inftruments of any other fort, that we faw, 

 except drums of various fizes. But their fongs, which they 

 fung in parts *, and accompany with a gentle motion of the 



arms, 



* As this circumftance, of their finging in parts, has been much doubted by 

 perfons eminently ikilled in mufic, and would be exceedingly curious if it v 

 clearly aicertained, it is to be lamented that it cannot be more pofitively authen- 

 ticated. 



Captain Burney, and Captain Phillips of the Marines, who both have a tolerable 

 knowledge of mulic, have given it as their opinion, that they did (ing in parts ; that 

 is to fay, that they fung together in different notes, which formed a pleafmg har- 

 mony. 



Thefe gentlemen have fully teftified, that the Friendly I/Iandcrs undoubtedly 

 ftudied their performances before they were exhibited in public ; that they had 

 idea oi" different notes being ufeful in harmony; and alfo, that they rehearfed 



their 



