468 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



invention aud industry, but it is not very durable when compared with 

 woven goods. The colors with which the decorations are made are pro- 

 cured from roots, leaves, aud berries of indigenous plants and are pre- 

 pared with considerable skill. Several kinds of earth are used for the 

 dark colors, the pigment being ground down aud boiled in the juice of 

 the sugar-cane. 



MATS. 



The natives excel in the manufacture of fine mats, specimens of 

 which will be found in our collection. They are made of bulrushes 

 obtained from the craters in the vicinity of the lakes formed by the 

 collection of the rain-water. They are woven by hand, aud fine speci- 

 mens are highly prized. 



AMUSEMENTS. 



The amusements of the people were reduced to a minimum when the 

 customs of their heathen forefathers were abandoned, aud at present 

 there is no general assemblage for the purpose of enjoyment except an 

 occasional marriage feast or some accidental occasion, such as the ar- 

 rival of a foreign ship. Prominent among the ancient customs were 

 leasts to celebrate the return of the different seasons and various an- 

 niversaries in their history, such as the landing of Hotu-Metua at 

 Anakena Bay. Upou the latter occasion the ancient traditions were 

 repeated by recognized orators, and a prominent feature of all fetes 

 was athletic sports, such as running, spear-throwiug, and feats of skill 

 and dexterity. Dancing was the most common of all amusemeuts and 

 there was no assemblage without its appropriate dance. 



THE NATIVE DANCE. 



Just as the traditions are cherished and repeated from father to son, 

 the native dances are remembered and held in esteem, although never 

 publicly practiced. Mr. Salmon secured the services of the "star per- 

 formers" and we were fortunately enabled to witness the peculiarities 

 of the native dauce at his house at Viahu, on the eve of our departure 

 from the island. The music was furnished by three persons seated 

 upon the floor, who accompanied their discordant voices by thumps 

 upon a tomtom improvised from old cracker-boxes, and the dance was 

 performed by an old woman aud a young girl, the latter possessing some 

 claim to symmetry of figure. The dancers wore a single loose garment, 

 short enough to expose the bare ankles and sun-browned feet. Over 

 the head and shoulders was thrown a white cloak, composed of a few 

 yards of cotton cloth, which was sometimes spread open and occasion- 

 ally made to hide the whole figure as they went through the various 

 evolutions of the dance. This mantle was not managed with any par- 

 ticular skill or grace and seemed to be identified with one particular 



