THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
nor at any other of the iflands, would they pay the fmalleft 
attention to them. 
In order to give them a more favourable opinion of Eng- 
lifh amufements, and to leave their minds fully impreifed 
with the deepeft fenfe of our fuperior attainments, I directed 
fome fireworks to be got ready; and, after it was dark, 
played them off in the prefence of Feenou, the other 
Chiefs, and a vaft concourfe of their people. Some of the 
preparations we found damaged; but others of them were 
in excellent order, and fucceeded fo perfectly, as to anfwer 
the end I had in view. Our water and fky-rockets, in par¬ 
ticular, pleafed and aflonifhed them beyond all conception; 
and the fcale was now turned in our favour. 
This, however, feemed only to furnifh them with an 
additional motive to proceed to frefli exertions of their very 
lingular dexterity; and our fireworks were no fooner ended, 
than a fuccefhon of dances, which Feenou had got ready 
for our entertainment, began. As * a prelude to them, a 
band of mufic, ,or chorus of eighteen men, feated them- 
felves before us, in the centre of the circle, compofed by 
the numerous fpeCtators, the area of which was to be the 
fcene of the exhibitions. Four or five of this band, had 
pieces of large bamboo, from three to five or fix feet long, 
each managed by one man, who held it nearly in a vertical 
pofition, the upper end open, but the other end clofed by 
one of the joints. With this clofe end, the performers kept 
conftantly ftriking the ground, though flowly, thus pro¬ 
ducing different notes, according to the different lengths of 
the inflruments, but all of them of the hollow or bafe fort; 
to counteract which, a perfon kept ftriking quickly, and 
* Mr. Anderfon’s account of the night dances being much fuller than Captain Cook’s, 
the reader will not be difpleafed that it has been adopted. 
Vol. I. Kk 
249 
1777 - 
May. 
with 
