Dance hy Netv- Caledonian Prisoners. 221 



clotliing, others a wide piece of blue calico (parcu), wound 

 round the loins and reaching to the knees. 



The dancing in the Pre Catalan continued from afternoon 

 till far on in the night, although only a faint gleam of light 

 shone on the green floor, so that the darkness threw a con- 

 venient veil over both dancers and spectators. Quite close 

 to the crowd of pleasm^e-seeking natives was a group of 

 natives of New Caledonia. These had been made prisoners 

 of war during the recent campaign of the French on that 

 island, and had been transported hither to undergo a term 

 of travaux forces on the public works. On the whole, however, 

 they were kindly enough treated, and on Sundays were per- 

 mitted to •' dance," such as the performance was, in the pre- 

 sence of their custodian. On our presenting them with a 

 few small silver coins they went through their most re- 

 nowned national dances for us, which are much ruder and 

 more natural than those of the Tahitians, but apparently are 

 not of so frivolous a character as the Upa-Upa, and other 

 similar cancanized contortions of the limbs as indulged at 

 Tahiti. The New Caledonians arranged themselves with 

 spears and sticks in a circle, rushed violently at each other, 

 leaped impetuously about in a state of artificial excitement, 

 uttering the most singular sounds and the most appalling 

 yells, then dispersed and reunited repeatedly, the leader of 

 the dance all the while muttering very fast, but in perfect 

 time, some unintelligible words, apparently to fire their 

 ardour by recalling to them the memory of some national 



