TAHITI. 25 



however, a peculiar nasal sound, particularly in those who indulge in 

 the latter class of singing. 



Social amusements are prohibited by severe penalties, although the 

 people are evidently fond of them : I neither saw nor heard myself of 

 any dancing or theatrical amusements during our stay. Some of the 

 officers, however, persuaded a few females to exhibit a dance, upon the 

 strict assurance that they should not be informed against. Mats were 

 spread upon the floor, on which two of the girls stood up to dance, 

 while the others sat cross-legged around. One of the latter began by 

 uttering a few words of no delicate import, in reply to which all the 

 others made a sort of grunt, with the mouth shut. To this succeeds 

 another set of sounds uttered with the mouth open. 



Mouth shut. 



ll T ! T f 



Mouth open. 

 1 T 



r?y#ii ' |!M 



v u - # " - ■ - 



' IT 



^ m a J ' 



' II 



9 9 9 |- | 



J 11 



9 

 umh umh umh ha 



9 

 ha 



9 

 ha 



To this all keep time, by drawing up the legs, thrusting out the arms, 

 and making all sorts of contortions. In the meantime the two dancers 

 proceed, twisting their bodies into all kinds of lascivious postures. 

 Little can be said for the gracefulness of these motions, although many 

 have described them as such. The whole finishes by a simultaneous 

 clapping of the hands. 



The party that was despatched for the purpose of making an attempt 

 to reach the top of Orohena, consisted of fifteen persons, including four 

 natives as guides, and an American of the name of Lewis Sacket, as 

 interpreter. This man was from the State of New York, and was 

 admirably qualified for his duties. 



By the advice of the Rev. Mr. Wilson, the party took the route 

 across the island which follows the Pappino valley. The distance on 

 this line, to Lake Waiherea, is no more than twenty-five miles, while 

 by that which follows the shores, it is fifty miles before the point at 

 which the ascent begins is reached. None of the guides were 

 acquainted with this route, and it was therefore necessary to find a 

 person who was. For this purpose they in the first place proceeded 

 towards the eastward from Matavai, for about five miles, to the mouth 

 of the river Pappino, which they reached about 2 p. m. Here they 

 found a guide, and were informed that the stream was much swollen : 

 they however determined to go forward, and were accompanied by a 

 troop of boys and girls w T ith flowers. Before they had proceeded far, 

 they reached a place where it was necessary to ford the stream, which 

 they found difficult on account of the rapidity, although the water was 



VOL. II. c 4 



