The dances of all savage nations are beautiful,
but those of the New Zealanders partake
also of the horrible. The regularity of
their movements is truly astonishing; and the
song, which always accompanies a dance, is
most harmonious. They soon work themselves
up to a pitch of phrensy; the distortions
of their face and body are truly dreadful, and
fill the mind with horror. Love and war are
the subjects of their songs^ and dances ; but
the details of the latter passion are by far the
most popular among them. I was astonished
to find that their women mixed in the dance
indiscriminately with the men, and went
through all those horrid gestures with seemingly
as much pleasure as the warriors themselves.
The next morning I was awakened, at day-
break, by the most dismal sounds I had ever
heard. I started up, and found it proceeded,
from the tribes parting with each other. They
had divided themselves into little parties, each
forming a circle ; and were crying most piteously,
and cutting their flesh as a cook would
score pork for roasting. On such occasions
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