264 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



with a kind of stamp, made of a fibrous substance, pretty 

 closely interwoven, placed beneath. They then take a bit 

 of cloth and dip it in a juice expressed from the bark of 

 a tree called kokka, which they rub briskly upon the piece 

 that is making. This at once leaves a dull brown colour 

 and a dry gloss upon its surface. In this manner they 

 proceed, joining and staining by degrees, till they produce 

 a piece of cloth of such length and breadth as they want ; 

 generally leaving a border of a foot broad at the sides, and 

 longer at the ends unstained. Throughout the whole, if any 

 parts of the original pieces are too thin, or have holes, which 

 is often the case, they glue square bits upon them till they 

 become of an equal thickness. When they want to produce 

 a black colour they mix the soot procured from an oily nut, 

 called dooedooe, with the juice of the kokka, in different 

 quantities, according to the proposed depth of the tinge. 



" Next day was fixed upon by Mareewagee for giving a 

 grand haiva or entertainment, to which we were all invited. 

 For this purpose a large space had been cleared before 

 the temporary hut of this chief, near our post, as an area 

 where the performances were to be exhibited. In the morn- 

 ing great multitudes of the natives came in from the 

 country, every one carrying a pole about six feet long upon 

 his shoulder, and at each end of every pole a yam was 

 suspended. These yams and poles were deposited on 

 each side of the area, so as to form two large heaps, 

 decorated with different sorts of small fish, and piled up to 

 the greatest advantage. They were Mareewagee's present 

 to Captain Clerke and me. 



" Everything being thus prepared, about eleven o'clock 

 they began to exhibit various dances, which they call mai. 

 The music consisted at first of seventy men as a chorus, who 

 sat down ; and amidst them were placed three instruments, 

 which we called drums, from their effect. The natives call 

 them naff a. These instruments produce a rude, though 

 loud and powerful sound. 



" The first dance consisted of four ranks of twenty-four 

 men each, holding in their hands a little thin, light, wooden 

 instrument, about two feet long, and in shape not unlike 

 a small oblong paddle. With these, which are called pagge, 

 they made a great many different motions, all which were 

 accompanied by corresponding attitudes of the body. 

 Their motions were at first slow, but quickened as the drums 

 beat faster ; and they recited sentences in a musical tone 

 the whole time, which were answered by the chorus ; but at 

 the end of a short space they all joined, and finished with 

 a shout ; then the rear rank dividing, shifted themselves 

 very slowly round each end, and meeting in the front, 



