284 FIJI ISLANDS. 



glutinous semi-fluid masses, made of taro and cocoanut, and 

 flavoured with molasses. The puddings are kept done up in a 

 bag of banana leaf, and are very nasty, though specially prepared 

 as a luxury on this occasion. The chief showed us two clubs, 

 family heirlooms, which had killed a large number of illustrious 

 enemies ; but since, as he told us, they are always kept very 

 carefully oiled, just as we oil our cricket bats, there was no 

 hair or remains of blood or brains about them. 



It was past noon before the people began to assemble in 

 considerable numbers, and seat themselves on the banks and 

 rising ground, commanding a view of the dancing-place. The 

 dancing was begun by the body of young men which I had 

 before seen at Bureta, in Ovalau, practising the same dance 

 for this grand occasion. 



There were about 80 men in this company. A party stood 

 together in the centre and kept up a sort of chant, one of their 

 number beating time with two sticks upon a small bar of light 

 wood, which was held by the hands of another. The remainder 

 danced round to the chorus in a ring, but every now and then 

 changes between members of the ring and chorus took place. 

 One of the chants I took down as " Raihi val sal sate a dumm. ' 

 The last sound was uttered with a peculiar lingering humming 

 sound. The words chanted usually have no meaning, corre- 

 sponding to our fal la la, and similar sounds. 



The chant was commenced always as a solo, the chorus 

 joining in after the first few notes. Combined with the music, 

 with excellent effect at various stages of the dance, was the 

 loud clapping of hands, which was done in most perfect time, 

 the claps of all the dancers and chorus sounding as one. Two 

 kinds of claps were used, one with the hands hollowed, and the 

 other with them flat. The two sounds thus produced served 

 further to diversify the effect, and there was also added a loud 

 shrill cry used in some of the figures just before their conclusion, 

 and uttered by one performer only, which came in very well. 



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 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 



