424 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. 
XV. 
Jan. 
1827. 
drums, all of which were executed simultaneously, and with ease, de- 
cision, and grace. On the whole, it was an exhibition very creditable to 
the talents of the performers. To this succeeded several dances : the 
first, performed by a native of Atooi, was recommended principally by 
a display of muscular energy : the next was executed by a man who was 
esteemed the most accomplished actor of his time in Woahoo, and the 
son of the most celebrated dancer the islands ever had. He wore an 
abundance of native cloth, variously stained, w'rapped about his waist, 
and grass ornaments fixed upon his legs above the ancles. A garland of 
green leaves passed over his right shoulder and under his left arm, 
and a wreath of yellow' blossoms, very commonly worn in the Sandwich 
Islands, was wound twice round his head. Unlike the former dance, 
the merit of this consisted in an exhibition of graceful action, and a 
repetition of elegant and unconstrained movements. 
The dance of the females was spoiled by a mistaken refinement, 
which prevented their appearing, as formerly, with no other dress than 
a covering to the hips, and a simple garland of flowers upon the head ; 
instead of this they were provided with frilled chemises, which so far 
from taking away the appearance of indecency, produced an opposite 
effect, and at once gave the performance a stamp of indelicacy. In 
this dance, which by the way is the only one the females of these 
islands have, they ranged themselves in a line, and began swinging the 
arms carelessly, but not ungracefully, from side to side ; they then pro- 
ceeded to the more active part of the dance, the principal art of which 
consisted in twisting the loins without moving the feet or the bust. 
After fatiguing themselves in accomplishing this to the satisfaction of 
the spectators, they jumped sidewise, still twisting their bodies, and 
accompanying their actions with a chorus, the words of which we sup. 
posed bore some allusion to the performance. We had afterwards a 
sham-fight with short spears, wherein very little skill w'as exhibited, 
and, compared with the dexterity of the warlike Tamehameha, who is 
said by Vancouver to have successfully evaded six spears thrown at him 
at the same instant, the present representation was quite contemptible. 
These exercises are now seldom practised, and in a short time, no doubt, 
both they and the dances will cease to be exhibited. 
