THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
301 
hand 011 each fide; and he who fucceeds in drawing his 
antagonift to him, immediately tries to lift him upon his 
breaft, and throw him upon his back; and if he be able to 
turn round with him two or three times, in that pofition, 
before he throws him, his dexterity never fails of procuring 
plaudits from the fpecdators. If they be more equally 
matched, they clofe foon, and endeavour to throw each 
other by entwining their legs, or lifting each other from 
the ground ; in which ftruggles they fhew a prodigious ex¬ 
ertion of ftrength, every mufcle, as it were, being ready to 
burft with draining. When one is thrown, he immediately 
quits the field, but the victor fits down for a few feconds, 
then gets up, and goes to the fide he came from, who pro¬ 
claim the victory aloud, in a fentence delivered llowdy, and 
in a mufical cadence. After fitting a fhort fpace, he rifes 
again and challenges; when fometimes feveral antagonifts 
make their appearance; but he has the privilege of choo- 
fing which of them he pleafes to wreftle with ; and has, 
likewife, the preference of challenging again, if he fiiould 
throw his adverfary, until he himfelf be vanquifhed; and 
then the oppofite fide fing the fong of vidlory in favour of 
their champion. It alfo often happens, that five or fix rife 
from each fide, and challenge together ; in which cafe, it is 
common to fee three or four couple engaged on the field at 
once. But it is aftonifhing to fee what temper they preferve 
in this exercife ; for we obferved no inftances of their leav¬ 
ing the fpot, with the lead: difpleafure in their counte¬ 
nances. When they find, that they are fo equally matched 
as not to be likely to throw each other, they leave off by 
mutual confent. And if the fall of one is not fair, or if it 
does not appear very clearly who has had the advantage, 
both fides fing the victory, and then they engage again. 
But 
1777. 
June. 
mu mi ft} 
