222 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP. 
IX. 
' 
iApril, 
1826. 
While we were at anchor, a whale-ship arrived from New Zealand, 
with a party of natives of that country on board, whom the master per- 
mitted to exhibit their war-dance for our diversion. After the duty of 
the day was over, the party assembled in front of the consul’s house, 
and the Otaheitans, anxious for an opportunity of comparing the dances 
of other countries with their own, crowded round in great numbers to 
witness the performance. 
The exhibition took place by torch-light, and began by the party 
being drawn up in a line with their chief in advance, who regulated 
their motions ; which, though very numerous, were all simultaneous, 
and showed that they were well practised in them. They began by 
stamping their feet upon the ground, and then striking the palms of 
the hands upon the thighs for about a minute, after which, they threw 
their bodies into a variety of contortions, twisted their heads about, 
grinned hideously, using all kinds of imprecations and abuse on their 
supposed enemy, as if to defy him to battle : having at length worked 
themselves into a complete frenzy, they uttered a yell, and rushed to 
the conflict ; which, from what we saw represented, must in reality be 
horrible ; the effect upon the peaceable Otaheitans was such that long 
before they came to the charge some of them ran away through fear, 
and all, no doubt, congratulated themselves that there was so wide an 
expanse of water between their country and New Zealand. A dirge 
over the fallen enemy concluded the performance, which it is impossible 
adequately to describe. We learned from the whaler, that Shonghi? 
the New Zealand chief who was educated in England, was availing him- 
self of the superiority he had acquired, and was making terrible ravages 
among his countrymen, whose heads, when dried, furnished him with a 
lucrative trade. 
On the 24th we prepared for our departure : during our stay we 
visited the natives almost daily in their habitations, and became well 
acquainted with their habits and manner of living ; but in this inter- 
course there was so little novelty, that, considering how many volumes 
have been written upon the country, by persons whose stay far ex- 
ceeded ours, it would be both tiresome and useless to detain the 
reader with their description. 4 'he conclusion generally arrived at was> 
