»794- to be a profound critic, was frequently appealed to by the women, and his
.February. ^ gheftions were implicitly followed in many little alterations. Inllead of
the ornaments of cloth and net-work decorated with dogs’ teeth, thefe ladies
had each a green wreath made of a kind of bind weed, twilled together
in different parts like a rope, which was wound round from the ankle,
pearly to the lower part of the petticoat. On their wrifts they wore no
bracelets nor other ornaments, but acrofs their necks and (houlders were
green falhes, very nicely made, with the broad leaves of the tee, a plant
* Vide that produces a very lufcious fweet root, the fize of a yam*. This part
Voyage.* of their drefs was put on the laft by each of the a&relfes; and the party
being now fully attired, the king and queen, who had been prefent the
whole time of their drefling, were obliged to withdraw, greatly to the
mortification of the latter, who would gladly have taken her part as a
performer, in which (he was reputed to excel very highly. But the royal
pair were compelled to retire, even from the exhibition, as they are prohibited
by law from attending fuch amufements, excepting on the feftival
of the new year. Indeed, the performance of this day was contrary to
the eftablilhed rules of the ifland, but being intended as a compliment, to
us, the innovation was admitted.
As their majefties withdrew, the ladies of rank, and the principal
chiefs, began to make their appearance. The reception of the former
by the multitude was marked by a degree of refpect that I had not before
feen amongft any inhabitants of the countries in the pacific oce.an.
The audience aflembled at this time were Handing in rows, from fifteen
to twenty feet deep, fo clofe as to touch each other; but thefe ladies no
fooner approached their rear, in any accidental direction, than a paffage
was inftantly made for them and their attendants to pafs through in the
moll commodious manner to their refpeclive llations, where they feated
themfelves on the ground, which was covered with mats, in the molt advantageous
fituation for feeing and hearing the performers. Moft of thefe ladies
were of a corpulent form, which, affifted by their ftately gait, the
dignity with which they moved, and the number pf their pages, who followed
with fans to court the refrelhing breeze, or with fly-flaps to dif-
perfe the offending infefls, announced their cojifequence as the wives,
daughters,
daughters, fillers, or other near relations of the principal chiefs, who how- Feb^4
evef experienced no fuch marks of refpea or attention themfelves; being — — '
obliged to make their way through the fpeftators in the befl manner they
^ T h f t im e devoted to the decoration of the aareffes extended beyond
the limits of the quiet patience of the audience who exclaimed two or
three times, from all quarters, « Hoorah, hoorah, fioaiedee, figmfy.ng,
that it would bb dark and black night before the performance would be-
Sfi, But the audience here, like fimilar ones in other countries, attend-
ing" with a pre-difpofition to be pleafed, was in good humour, and was
eafily appealed, by the addrefs of our-faithful and devoted friend Try
whookee, who was the conduaor of the ceremonies, and foie manager on
this oecafion. He came forward, and apologized by a fpeech that produced
a general laugh, and caufing the mufic to begin, we heard no furttier
murmurs. ■ . . , • i i
The band confifted of five men, all (landing up, each with a highlypolifhed
wooden fpear in the left, and a l'mall piece of the fame material,
equally well finilhed, in the right hand; with this they beat on
the fpear, as an accompaniment to their own voices m fongs, that varied
both as to time and meafure, efpecially the latter; yet ^ .r y o .c e s , and
the founds produced from their rude inllruments, which differed according
to the place on which the tapering fpear was flruck, appeared
to accord very well. Having engaged us a f c f time in this vocal performance;
the court ladies made their appearance, and were received
with Ihouts of the greateft applaufe. The mufipians rettred a few paces,
and the aareffes took their flation before them.
The heroine of the piece, which confifted of four parts or afis, had
once {hared the affeaions and embraces of TamaahmaaA but was now
married to an inferior chief, whofe occupation m the houfehold was that
of the charge of the kings apparel. This lady was diftinguifhed by a green
wreath round the crown of the head; next to her was the captive daughter
of l i g i t the third a younger filler to the’queen, the wife ofCryma,
mahoo, who being of the moft exalted rank flood m the middle. On each
fide of thefe were two of inferior .quality, making m all feven aftreffes.
G 2 They