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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
to throw his rival; this was all that was requisite; and 
although they generally grappled with each other^ this 
was not necessary according to the rules of the game. 
Mape^ a stout, and rather active, though not a large 
man, who was often in my house at Eimeo, was a 
famous wrestler. He was seen in the ring once, with 
a remarkably tall heavy man, who was his antagonist; 
they had grappled and separated, when Mape walked 
carelessly towards his rival, and on approaching him, 
instead of stretching out his arms as was expected, he 
ran the crown of his head with all his might against 
the temple of his antagonist, and laid him flat on the 
earth. 
The most unbroken silence and attention was mani¬ 
fested during the struggle; but as soon as one was 
thrown, the scene was instantly changed; the van¬ 
quished was scarcely stretched on the sand, when a shout 
of exultation burst from the victor’s friends. Their 
drums Struck up; the women rose, and danced in 
triumph over the fallen wrestler, and sung in defiance 
to the opposite party. These were neither silent nor 
unmoved spectators, but immediately commenced a 
most deafening noise, partly in honour of their own 
clan or tribe, but principally to mar and neutralize the 
triumph of the victors. It is not easy to imagine the 
scenes that must often have been presented at one of 
their taupitis, or great wrestling matches, when not 
less than four or five thousand persons, dressed in 
their best apparel, and exhibiting every variety of cos¬ 
tume and brilliancy of colour, were under the influence 
of excitement. One party were drumming, dancing, and 
singing, in the pride of victory, and the menace of 
defiance; while, to increase the din and confusion, the 
