2l8 CHALLENGER 



mat-Strewn floor for a brief respite before the singing and the 

 insistent thumping starts again and the dancers rise once more. 

 The author asked an elder what the actions in these dances 

 represented, imagining that the actors were re-Hving great battles 

 or canoe voyages in their distant past. The elder replied, however, 

 without much conviction, that they were Bible stories, but failed 

 to put a satisfactory name to any one of these. 



On the last night in the meeting-house at Funafuti, when all 

 were utterly exhausted after taking part in the many action dances, 

 the island girls began to lay a great quantity of shell ornaments, 

 necklaces, belts and hat bands as well as hats and fans at the 

 Captain's feet, where he sat with one or two of the Kaubures, 

 or members of the Island Council ; it seemed that the presentation 

 would never end as more and more girls appeared and re-appeared 

 loaded with gifts. There were enough of these articles for every 

 one of the ship's company to carry away some memento of the 

 glorious days and nights they had spent at Funafuti among its 

 charming and happy people. 



There was time for much sport as well as science. A cricket 

 match, an outrigger canoe race and a sailing race were all con- 

 tested between the islanders and the sailors. The sailing boats at 

 Funafuti are of European design, doubtless introduced into the 

 island by some long-forgotten District Officer. There are about 

 fifteen of these boats now, all built on Funafuti, and as well as 

 taking a dozen or so of a crew they carry a great deal of canvas. 

 On the British Sovereign's Birthday and on Boxing Day, a sailing 

 race is always held on the spacious waters of the lagoon. Such 

 a race was now arranged. Challenger^ s own surf boat taking part. 

 These races are started in a novel manner. The prevailing wind 

 blows in over the village from the east and across the lagoon; 

 the boats, fully loaded, with whole families forming enthusiastic 

 sailing crews, are lined up off the village beach; the sails are fully 

 rigged and filled with the wind while one member of the crew, 

 knee-deep in the water, holds the boat's stern. At the word 'go' 

 each thrusts off his boat and leaps in and the whole fleet is quickly 

 running before the wind in a spectacular and even start. 



While the scientists and their naval assistants became daily more 

 sun-tanned during their long days exploding charges from the 



