MAY 1769 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 Zomite. 
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. JI went out and saw the ovens in 
which they were buried; these the Indians readily showed 
