THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 
(as it is among them) the perfon who ufes the moft vkn 
lent action, and holds out the longeft, is applauded as the L 
bell dancer. It is to be obferved, that, in this dance, the 
women only take a part, and that the dancing of the men 
is nearly of the fame kind with what we faw of the fmall 
parties at the Friendly Illands; and which may, perhaps, 
with more propriety, be called the accompaniment of 
longs, with correfponding and graceful motions of the 
whole body. Yet, as we were fpedlators of boxing exhibi¬ 
tions, of the fame kind with thofe we were entertained 
with at the Friendly Illands, it is probable that they had 
likewife their grand ceremonious dances, in which num¬ 
bers of both fexes aflifted. 
Their mulic is alfo of a ruder kind, having neither flutes 
nor reeds, nor inftruments of any other fort, that we faw, 
exept drums of various lizes. But their fongs, which they 
fung in parts % and accompany with a gentle motion of the 
arms, 
* As this circumftance, of their ftnglng in parts , has been much doubted by perfons 
eminently (killed in mufic, and would be exceedingly curious if it was clearly afcertained, 
it is to be lamented that it cannot be more pofitively authenticated. 
Captain Burney, and Captain Phillips of the Marines, who both have a tolerable know¬ 
ledge of mufic, have given it as their opinion, that they did fing in parts ; that is to fay, 
that they fung together in different notes, which formed a pleafmg harmony. 
Thefe gentlemen have fully teftified that the Friendly Iflanders undoubtedly ftudied 
their performances before they were exhibited in public, that they had an idea of different 
notes being ufeful in harmony; and alfo, that they rehearfed their compofitions in private, 
and threw out the inferior voices, before they ventured to appear before thofe who were 
fuppoled to be judges of their (kill in mufic. 
In their regular concerts, each man had a bamboo, which was of a different length, 
and gave a different tone : thefe they beat againft the ground, and each performer, affifted 
by the note given by this inftrument, repeated the fame note, accompanying it by words, 
by which means it was rendered fometimes (hort, and fometimes long. In this manner, 
they fung in chorus, and not only produced o(Saves to each other, according to their dif¬ 
ferent fpecies of voice, but fell on concords, fuch as were not difagreeable to the ear. 
Now, 
143 
1779. 
March. 
