DANCES. 
235 
the chief performer keeps a little in advance of the 
dancers, and whisking it up and down to the time 
of the music, regulates their movements. 
In another dance, in which women are the chief 
performers, their bodies are painted with white 
streaks, and their hair adorned with cockatoo feathers. 
They carry large sticks in their hands, and place 
themselves in a row in front, whilst the men with 
their spears stand in a line behind them. They then 
all commence their movements, but without inter- 
mingling, the males and females dancing by them- 
selves. There is little variety or life in this dance, 
yet it seems to be a favourite one with the natives. 
The women have occasionally another mode of 
dancing, by joining the hands together over the 
head, closing the feet, and bringing the knees into 
contact. The legs are then thrown outwards from 
the knee, whilst the feet and hands are kept in their 
original position, and being drawn quickly in again 
a sharp sound is produced by the collision. This is 
either practised alone by young girls, or by several 
together for their own amusement. It is adopted 
also when a single woman is placed in front of a 
row of male dancers to excite their passions; for 
many of the native dances are of a grossly licentious 
character. In another figure they keep the feet close 
together, without lifting them from the ground, and 
by a peculiar motion of the limbs advance onwards, 
describing a short semicircle. This amusement is 
