CHARACTERS. 



533 



. diversion myself, as the trial might 

 have been fatal. 



But in another amusement, in 

 which the chiefs often divert them- 

 selves, viz. shooting rats, I became, 

 after a time, almost as dexterous 

 - as the natives. To provide for this 

 sport, they take out the kernel of 

 the cocoa-nut, which being burned 

 and chewed the servants are sent 

 to strew it in places near the road, 

 in fences, and in hollow trees. 

 Meanwhile the chiefs, with bows 

 and arrows, take their station 

 near and making a squeaking 

 , -noise, exactly like the rats, these 

 animals soon come out to feed 

 upon tlie nuts, when the chiefs, 

 ranged in order, each for his turn, 

 shoot at them for a wager ; he 

 that kills the most, in the same 

 number of shots, wins the game. 



They are a very active people, 

 yet they often spend whole days, 

 when they have no particular em- 

 ployment, in luxurious indolence. 

 These days they generally close 

 in dancing and singing, of which 

 they are peculiarly fond. 



The chief will send round the 

 district, and collect together 

 thirty, forty, or fii'ty young people 

 of both sexes, to dance with his 

 attendants by the liglit of toniais, 

 or torches, Ibrmed, as we before 

 shewed, from the unctious bark 

 of the cocoa-tree. 



These dances are very beautiful. 

 Young women of the most grace- 

 ful figure and comely features as- 

 semble on these occasions, their 

 dark ringlets bespangled with aro- 

 matic flowers of a peculiar white- 

 ness, their necks and shoulders en- 

 circled with wreaths of variegated 

 flowers, tastp'ully strung together 

 like beads, their graceful limbs co- 

 vered only with a thin drapery, and 



in some cases, only shaded with 

 an entwined garland of gee-leaves. 



Their dances are very much di- 

 versified, and performed with ad- 

 mirable grace and uniformity, by 

 companies of eighty or a hundred, 

 who all move together with the 

 greatest exactness. I never saw 

 soldiersgo through their evolutions 

 with more prompt regularity than 

 these companies time the diversi- 

 fied motions that compose their 

 dances. 



They seem in their element 

 when dancing : such is the ease, 

 pleasure, grace and activitj? which 

 they exhibit in everyintricate part 

 of this favourite amusement. 



Their music is not so pleasing. 

 The principal instrument is a kind 

 of drum, formed out of a log of 

 wood, hollowed through with a 

 long small aperture, and laid 

 lengthways upon two pieces of 

 wood. This is beaten whilst eight 

 or ten bamboos, of differentlengths, 

 with pieces of wood fastened and 

 bound to the end of them, are 

 struck against the barrel, and pro- 

 duce a sound according to the 

 length of the stick. Of these 

 drums they have two or three; 

 which, with the bamboos and the 

 singing, make a little rough con- 

 cert. Their songs arc beautiful and 

 melodious ; partalving more of a 

 lively than a plaintive air, but ra- 

 ther monotonous. These dances 

 are often performed in particular 

 spots where there are large trees. 

 To these places the young people 

 resort for this purpose. They are 

 frequently kept up till midnight, 

 V. 'len performed in a chief's house, 

 and sometimes till morning, by an 

 interchange of performers, who 

 alternately retire to rest, and rise 

 again to dance. 



