Chap, xiii.] VARIOUS DANCES. 287 



In the Fan Dance, all the dancers were provided with a fan 

 of tappa stretched on a wooden frame. They divided themselves 

 into two parties, which formed into single file in the same line 

 with one another, but with a considerable interval between the 

 two parties. The two bands took up the chant and danced 

 alternately, answering each other as it were. The fans were 

 waved in various attitudes, and at the end of each movement 

 thrown suddenly up over the head (still held in the hands), a 

 wild war-cry, uttered by the whole line simultaneously, accom- 

 panying the movement. The war-cry was of a single prolonged 

 high-pitched note, and sounded intensely savage. 



In another dance, performed by a large body of men, about 

 120 I think, the dancers formed a sort of rectangular group, 

 arranging themselves in eight rows, the leader being in the centre 

 of the front row. Once or twice the leader came forward to the 

 chorus, and addressed a few words in a dramatic manner partly 

 to them, exhorting them to do their duty well, partly to the 

 spectators. 



A club dance by boys was one of the performances. In one 

 figure of this the boys, standing in a line with their bodies bent 

 forwards, jerked their hips with a most astonishing facility, first 

 to one side and then to the other. The motion, especially in 

 cases where the boys had a large quantity of tappa projecting 

 behind as a sort of bustle, was most ludicrous, and the audience, 

 instead of crying the oft repeated " Vinaka, vinaka," fairly 

 shouted with laughter. 



A band of women of the district, headed by the Queen of 

 Rewa and her daughter, who were both dressed in bright blue 

 striped prints, marched slowly forwards across the Green to 

 deposit their offerings, singing a chant, descriptive of various 

 incidents from the New Testament, the descriptive part being 

 a solo, whilst the whole band joined in a constantly repeated 

 chorus containing the words AUelujah, Amen. This song was 

 in lieu of a dance. 



The principal interest of the performances, however, lay in 

 the obvious fact that here were to be observed the germs of the 

 drama, of vocal and instrumental music, and of poetry, in almost 

 their most primitive condition in development. In these Fijian 

 dances they are all still intimately connected together, and are 

 seen to arise directly out of one another, having not as yet 

 reached the stage of separation. 



The dance is evidently first invented by the savage, then 

 rhythmical vocal sounds are used by the dancers to accompany 

 it, and simple instruments of percussion are employed to keep 

 time. As the dance becomes gradually more varied and com- 

 plex, the accompanists are separated as an orchestra, the 



