12 Rus'>ian Expedition to Japan. 



also. They are rtrinavkably fond of dancing, which fornis 

 the principal part uf all their festivals. The most essential 

 part of their dancing consists in a quivering motion of the 

 hands : it is not disligreeable, and has in it something sin- 

 gular, which to me at least was new. Their music consists 

 in beating in time with the right hand on the left arm. The 

 sound was much louder than we were able to produce \a 

 the same manner. When they sing, they clap their hands 

 in time in such a manner that the lingers cross each other 

 and produce a full tone. A drum made offish-skin was 

 used also on these dancing festivals. 



Their morals are of a piece with the rest. Parents and 

 husbands sent their daughters and wives on board our ship 

 to display their charms ; and a piece of iron or a nail was 

 sufficient to remove all their scruples. Those who have 

 wives keep also a fire-maker, because this business is some- 

 what laborious. This fire-maker is the woman's second 

 husband, and he pays great attention to her because his own 

 interest is interwoven with hers. I was told afterwards by 

 the Frenchman that the men are very jealous. This seems 

 to be a contradiction, but it may nevertheless be explained. 



Their expertness in swimming is really wonderful. 

 Many of them swam off early in the morning to the ship, 

 with their forenoon's repast, consisting of coco-nuts, which 

 they ate in the water, and returned on shore late in the 

 eveninr^. Others had both tlicir hands full of different arti- 

 cles, which they vtished to barter with us, or which they 

 had procured from us. These they held up, and swam lor 

 several hours merely with tlieir feet. Some of them, for 

 the greater convenience, had a piece of hoard with them. 

 This board they held before them, and suffered themselves 

 to be driven on shore bv the surf: however dangcrohs this 

 experiment may appear, none of them ever experienced any 

 hurt by it. 



Tnaboo is the magic word here, in which arc comprehended 

 all their religious, political, and moral laws. But a clearer 

 idea of the importance of this word will be^onveyed by a 

 few examples. When one says that tliis or that place is 

 dedicated to the spirit of his father, the spirit Atua inhabits 

 the place, and no person dares to pass over it; it is taaboo. 

 When a persmi gives his name to a tree or to any other 

 man, the tree .ir n)an is taabuo to all others : the spirit 

 resides in both. In all the houses the place set apart lor 

 eating is taaboo to the women ; and when any of the na- 

 tives have got any thing winch they are desirous to eat un- 

 molested, they oit down in the nlace which is taaboo. 



Swine's 



