J777. former, and, though not fo fat as the fecond, was of a large
Apnl~ . fize. He alfo was fitting, and adorned with red feathers; and
after faluting him as we had done the others, he delired
us both to fit down. Which we were very willing to do,
being pretty well fatigued with walking up, and with the
exceflive heat we felt amongft the vaft crowd that fur-
rounded us.
In a few minutes, the people were ordered to feparate;
and we faw, at the diftance of thirty yards, about twenty
young women, ornamented as the Chiefs,.with red feathers,
engaged in a dance, which they performed to a flow
and ferious air, fung by them all. We got up, and went
forward to fee them; and though we muft have been
ftrange objeCts to them, they continued their dance, without
paying the leaft attention to us. They feemed to be
directed by a man who ferved as a prompter, and mentioned
each motion they were to make. But they never changed,
the fpot, as we do in dancing, and though their feet were
not at reft, this exercife confifted more in moving the fingers
very nimbly, at the fame time holding the hands in a prone
pofition near the face, and now and then alfo clapping them
together*. Their motions and fong were performed in
fuch exaCtconcert, that it fhould feem they had been taught
with great care ; and probably they were feleCted for this
ceremony, as few of thofe whom we faw in the crowd
equalled them in> beauty. In general, they were rather
flout than flender, with black hair flowing in ringlets down
the neck, and of an olive complexion. Their features were,
* The dances of the inhabitants of the Caroline Wands, have a great refemblance
to thofe here defcribed. See Lettres E i f . it Curieujis, Tom. xv. p. 315. See alfo, in
the fame volume, p.ito/. what is laid of the finging .and dancing of the inhabitants
o f , the Palaos Iilands, which belong to the fame group,
rather,
rather, fuller than what we allow to perfect beauties, and
much alike; but their eyes were of a deep black, and each i—
countenance exprefled a degree of complacency and mo-
defty, peculiar to the fex in every part of the . world ; ;but
perhaps more confpicuous here, where Nature prefented us
with her productions in the fulleft perfection, unbiafled in
fentiment by cuftom, or unreftrained in manner by art.
Their ihape and limbs were elegantly formed. For, as -
their drefs confifted only of a piece of glazed cloth fattened,
about the waift, and fcarcely reaching fo low as the knees,
in many we had an opportunity of obferving every part.
This dance was not finiihed, when we heard a noife, as i f
fome horfes had been galloping toward u s ; and, on looking
afide, we faw the people armed with clubs, who had been
defired, as we fuppofed, to entertain us with the fight o f
their manner of fighting. This they now did, one party
purfuing another who fled.
As we fuppofed the ceremony of being introduced to the
Chiefs was at an end, we began to look about for Mr. Gore
and Omai; and, though the crowd would hardly fuffer us
to move, we at length found them coming up, as much incommoded
by the number of peqple as we had been,, and
introduced in the fame manner to the three Chiefs, whofe
names vVere Otteroo, Taroa, and Fatouweera. Each of
thefe expeCted a prefent; and Mr. Gore gave them fuch
things as he had brought with him from the ihip, for that
purpofe. After this, making ufe of Omai as his interpreter,
he informed the Chiefs with what intention,we had
come on fliore; but was given to underftand, that he mull
wait till the next day, and then he ihould have what was
wanted.
T h e y