THIRD VOYAGE 255 



beyond all conception ; and the scale was now turned in our 

 favour. 



" This, however, seemed only to furnish them with an 

 additional motive to proceed to fresh exertions of their 

 very singular dexterity ; and our fireworks were no sooner 

 ended than a succession of dances began. As a prelude to 

 them, a band of music, or chorus of eighteen men, seated 

 themselves before us in the centre of the circle. Four or five 

 of this band had pieces of large bamboo, from three to five 

 or six feet long ; the upper end open, but the other end 

 closed by one of the joints. With this closed end the per- 

 formers kept constantly striking the ground, though slowly, 

 thus producing different notes, according to the different 

 lengths of the instruments, but all of them of the hollow or 

 bass sort ; to counteract which, a person kept striking 

 quickly, and with two sticks, a piece of the same substance, 

 split, and laid along the ground, and by that means furnish- 

 ing a tone as acute as those produced by the others were 

 grave. The rest of the band, as well as those who performed 

 upon the bamboos, sung a slow and soft air, which so 

 tempered the harsher notes of the above instruments, that 

 no bystander, however accustomed to hear the most perfect 

 and varied modulation of sweet sounds, could avoid con- 

 fessing the vast power and pleasing effect of this simple 

 harmony. 



" Soon after they had finished, nine women exhibited 

 themselves, and sat down fronting the hut where the chief 

 was. A man then rose, and struck the first of these 

 women on the back with both fists joined. He proceeded 

 in the same manner to the second and third, but when he 

 came to the fourth, whether from accident or design I 

 cannot tell, instead of the back, he struck. her on the breast. 

 Upon this, a person rose instantly from the crowd, who 

 brought him to the ground with a blow on the head, and 

 he was carried off without the least noise or disorder. But 

 this did not save the other five women from so odd a 

 discipline, or perhaps necessary ceremony ; for a person 

 succeeded him who treated them in the same manner. 

 Their disgrace, did not end here ; for when they danced, 

 they had the mortification to find their performance twice 

 disapproved of, and were obliged to repeat it. 



" Curiosity on both sides being now sufficiently gratified, 

 by the exhibition of the various entertainments I have 

 described, I began to have time to look about me. Accord- 

 ingly, next day, I took a walk into the island of Leefooga, 

 of which I was desirous to obtain some knowledge. I 



I found it to be, in several respects, superior to Annamooka. 

 The plantations were more numerous, and more extensive. 



