Ï-77T*-
June. this time, forbidden to ufie water -, or, which was more probable,
they did not like the water we made ufe of, it being
taken up out of one of their bathing-places. This was not the only time of our meeting with people that were taboo
ayy ; but, for what reafon, we never could t gree of certainty. ell with any deTuefdaX
17-. Next day, the 17th, was fixed upon by Mareewagee, for giving a* grand Hama, or entertainment to which we were all invited. For this purpofe a large fpace had been cleared, before the temporary hut of this Chief, near our poll, as
an area where the performances were to be exhibited. In, tth e m* orn•i ng, great mul1 titudes of- the natiwes vcame in from
the country, every one carrying a-pole, about fix feet long, upon his fhoulder; and at each end of every pole, a yam was fufpended. Thefe yams and poles were depofited on each fide of the area, fo as to form two large heaps, decorated
with différent forts of fmall fifh, and piled up to the-
greateft advantage. They were Mareewagee’s prefen t to Captain Clerke and me ; and it was hard to fay, whether the
wood for fuel, or the yams for food; were of moil value to«
us. As for the fifli, they might férve to pleafe the fight,,
bbeuet nw ekreep tv etwryo oofrf étnhfriveee tdoa tyhse, ftom eblel ; ppreafrern otefd thtoe mus ohna vtihnigs: ■ occafion.
Every thing being thus prepared, about eleven o’clock: they began to exhibit various dances, which they call mak The mule * confifted, at fi-rft, of feventy men as a chorus, who fat down ; and amidft them were placed three inftru- ments, which we called drums, though very unlike them..
_They are large cylindrical pieces of wood, or trunks of
*■ Mr. Anderfon’s defcription of the entertainments of this day being much fulle r:
than Captain Cook’s, , it has been adopted as on . a former occailori. trees,
trees, from three to four feet long, fome twice as thick as an ordinary fized man, and fome fmaller, holloaed entirely out, but clofe at both ends, and open only by a chink, about
three inches broad, runningialmoft the whole length of the
drums-, by which opening, the reft of the wood is certainly hollowed, though the operation muft-be difficult. This in- ilrument is called naffa; and, with the chink turned toward them, they fit and beat .ftrongly upon it, with two cylindrical- pieces of hard wood, about a foot long, and as thick as the
wrift; by which means they produce a rude,.though loud and powerful found. They vary the ftrength and rate of their,
beating, at different parts of the dances and a'lfo change the
tones, by beating in the middle, or near the end, of their drum.
The firit dance confifted of four ranks, of twenty-four
men each, holding in their hands a little, thin, light,. woodep inftrument, above two feet long, and, in ihape,, not unlike .a fmall oblong paddle. With thefe, which are called pagge, they made a great many different motions; fuch- as pointing them toward the ground bn one fide, at the fame time inclining their bodies that way,, from which they were
fluffed to the oppofite fide in the fame manner.; then paffing,. them quickly from one hand to the other, and twirling,
them about very dextroufly; with a variety of other manoeuvres,.
all which were accompanied by correfpanding attitudes
of the body. Their motions were, at firft, flow, but;
quickened as the drums beat fafter; and they recited fen- tences, in a mufical tone, the whole time, which were an-
fwered by the chorus; but at the,end of a fhort fpace they all joined, and finiihed with a fhout.
After ceafing about two or three minutes, they began as;
before,, and continued, with fhort intervals, above a quarter
. of