a64 l i e u t e n a n t c o o k ’ s v o 'y a g e
1769. upon his head a large cylindrical piece of wicker-work, or
balket, about four feet long and eight inches in diameter,
Wednef. 2. was face(j with feathers, placed perpendicularly, with
the tops bending forwards, and edged round with fhark’s
teeth, and the tail feathers of Tropic birds: when he had
put on this head-drefs, which is called a Whoiv, he began tp
dance, moving flowly, and often turning his head fo as that
the top o f his high wicker-cap defcribed a circle, and fome-
times throwing it fo near the faces of the fpeftators as to
make them ftart back: this was held among them as a very
good joke, and never failed to produce a peal of laughter,
efpecially when it was played off upon one of the ftrangers.
Thurfday 3. On the 3d, we went along the fhore to the northward,
which was in a diredlion oppolite to that of the route Mr.
Banks and Dr. Solander had taken the day before, with a de-
fign to purchafe flock, which we always found the people
more ready to part with, and at a more eafy price, at their
houfes than at the market. In the courfe of our walk we
met with a company of dancers, who detained us two hours,
and during all that time afforded us great entertainment.
The company confifted of two women dancers, and fix men,
with three drums; we were informed by Tupia, that they
were fome of the moft confiderable people of the ifland, and
that though they were continually going from place to place,
they did not, like the little ftrolling companies of Otaheite,
take any gratuity from the fpeclators. The women had upon
their heads a confiderable quantity of Tamou, or plaited
hair, which was brought feveral times round the head, and
adorned in many parts with the flowers of the cape-jeffa-
mine, which were ftuck in with much tafte, and made a
head-drefs truly elegant. Their necks, Ihoulders, afid aims
were naked; fo were the breafts alfo as low as the parting of
2 the