A VOYAGE TO 
188 
1777. and after fainting him as we had done the others, he de~ 
» fired us both to fit down. Which we were very willing to 
do, being pretty well fatigued with walking up, and with 
the exceftive heat we felt amongft the vaft crowd that fur- 
rounded us. 
In a few minutes, the people were, ordered to feparate ; 
and we faw, at the diftance of thirty yards, about twenty 
young women, ornamented as the Chiefs, with red fea¬ 
thers, engaged in a dance, which they performed to a flow 
and ferious air, fung by them all. We got up, and went 
forward to fee them ; and though we mufh have been 
ftrange objects to them, they continued their dance, with¬ 
out paying the leaft attention to us. They feemed to be 
directed by a man who ferved as a prompter, and mentioned 
each motion they were to make. But they never changed 
the fpot, as we do in dancing, and though their feet were 
not at reft, this exercife confifted more in moving the fingers 
very nimbly, at the fame time holding the hands in a prone 
pofition near the face, and now and then alfo clapping them 
together*. Their motions and fong were performed in 
fuch exafi concert, that it ftiould feem they had been taught 
with great care ; and probably they were felecfted for this 
ceremony, as few of thofe whom we faw in the crowd 
equalled them in beauty. In general, they were rather 
ft out'than {lender, with black hair flowing in ringlets down 
the neck, and of an olive complexion. Their features were, 
rather, fuller than what we allow to perfect beauties, and 
much alike ; but their eyes were of a deep black, and each 
* The dances of the inhabitants of the Caroline I Hands, have a great refemblance to 
thofe here defcribed. See Lettres Eclif. et Curieufes , Tom. xv. p. 315. See alfo, in the 
feme volume, p. 207. what is faid of the finging and dancing of the inhabitants of the 
Palaos Iflands, which belong to the feme group, 
3 
countenance 
