A r t s
ktoD
Sc i e n c e s
R E IVI A R K S o n t h e
the greater drathatic dance's has already been deïcribed, ^ and is
fiot peculiarly 'cohnefted with that art; however fo much appears
from their clothes cóllcdted into long petticoats-, that they by no
means think the éxcellehce o f the perfonhance to confift in the
graceful motion o f the feet, as they carefully cover them 3 hut in
the motSoh of their hands and -fingers, they fhew in my opinion,
the greateft dexterity and elegance. T h e y havé generally long
'Well fhaped fingers, which ate wonderfully pliant, fo that they can
With eafe bend them fo far back as to form with the reft o f the hand
a fegriiCnt of a circle, and in'this attitude they move them with afc
fcfto'nifhing agility. This dance is called He'ev'dhe^mra, and thè
motion of the fingers '&ree. But befides this, they fhiike their
hipsin'a fotatory motion, both when they are ftanding and when
they are leaning proftrate on their knees and fl-bows, with a velocity
Which eXcited oiir aftonifhment, and thrs'is itemed tintr-one. There
tee other‘dances Wherein they-ufe meafured ftëps, hold Another by
the hands atrd ‘clap with them j which is called fa-itit. During
the various ‘kiiicfs o f dances-, they '-ndvér fail -totStefce wry mouths.
Which, iïröur opinion, Were the nioft extravagant and difgracing
diftortions, inftead o f being capable o f giving the fpedtator ideas o f
graCefulnefs ‘and harfnony : habit has taught them -to fcrew the
mouth
. * See Hawkefworth, vol. ii. p. 264, and Georg« Forftcr’s Voyage, voUi, p. 3.99» m i
following».
mouth into an obliquely flaming direGion by a kind o f fudden a r t s
eonvulfive motion of the lips, and cufiom only has made the fight SCI£NCES
o f fo unnatural and offenfive a grimace a performance which pleafes
and merits applaufe. Th is diftortion is called ootoo.-rU (large lips).
There are other dances ufual in their nofturnal feftivals with the
Armoys, which, none o f our Ihips company had an'opportunity of
feeing, and are according to the accounts o f the natives extremely
indecent and lafeivious 5 thefe are called t’eai-mrotie, and the'
women exhibiting them, To&Ma. T h e cxercife.of the commoji
dramatic dances is very violent, the motion o f the hapds elegant,
that o f the feet not to be feen, that o f the hips fomswhat ftrange,
and according to our. notions indelicate 5 and daftly, that of the
mouth horrid and difagreeable. Th e women .when perfortning
were always attended by a man, who .accompanied the drums with
a kind o f fong j and by feme Joud fpoken words or the clapping fif
-hands:, directed their motions j which, in my opinion Teems to
intimate that.they have a kind of plan in their dances, and (hat .the
iranfitions from the oblique fteps, to the motion o f the fingers
and agitation Of the hips, is in fome meafure connedted with the
Words fpoketl by the mafter o f the ballet,
Their m u s i c is by no mpaps fo perfedt ,01 harmonious as their
dances dr poetry : this branch o f the polite arte -having made but
.ftn.inh^eyeqt progr^(s ,among them. Th e flute in phe hands of a
Q o o ! . Taheitean