MAYi;69 WRESTLING 89 



at least, walking round the yard with a slow and grave 

 pace, every now and then striking their left arms very hard, 

 by which they caused a deep and very loud noise, and which 

 it seems was a challenge to each other, or to any one of the 

 company who chose to engage in the exercise. Within the 

 house stood the old men ready to applaud the victor, and 

 some few women who seemed to be here out of compliment 

 to us, as much the larger number absented themselves upon 

 the occasion. 



The general challenge being given as above, the par- 

 ticular soon followed it, any man singling out his antagonist 

 by joining the finger-ends of both hands level with the 

 breast, and moving the elbows up and down ; if this was 

 accepted, the challenged immediately returned the signal, 

 and both instantly put themselves in an attitude to engage. 

 This they very soon did, striving to seize each other by the 

 hands, hair, or the cloth round the waist, for they had no 

 other dress. They then attempted to seize each other by 

 the thigh, which commonly decided the contest, by the fall 

 of him who was thus taken at a disadvantage ; if this was 

 not soon done, they always parted either by consent, or 

 their friends interfered in less than a minute, in which case 

 both began to clap their arms, and seek anew for an 

 antagonist, either in each other or some one else. When 

 any one fell, the whole amusement ceased for a few 

 moments, while the old men in the house gave their applause 

 in a few words which they repeated together in a kind of 

 tune. This lasted about two hours, during all which time the 

 man whom we observed at our first landing continued to beat 

 the people who did not keep at a proper distance ; we 

 understood that he was some officer belonging to Dootahah, 

 and was called his Tomite. 



The wrestling over, the gentlemen informed me that 

 they understood that two hogs and a large quantity of 

 bread-fruit, etc., were cooking for our dinner ; news which 

 pleased me very well, as I was by this time sufficiently 

 prepared for the repast. I went out and saw the ovens in 

 which they were buried ; these the Indians readily showed 



