jjajjie not got the art o f preferring the bread-fruit, and making the
—v——> four pafte o f it called Maihee, as at the Society Iilands ; and it
was fome fatisfadlion to us, in return for their great kind-
nefs and hofpitality, to have it in our power to teach them
this ufeful fecret. T h e y are exceedingly cleanly at their
meals; and their mode o f dreffing both their animal and
vegetable food, was univerfally allowed to be greatly fupe-
rior to ours. The Chiefs conftantly begin their meal with a
doze o f the extrail o f pepper-root, brewed after the ufual
manner. The women eat apart from the men, and are tabooed,
or forbidden, as has been already mentioned, the ufe
o f pork, turtle, and particular kinds o f plantains. However,
they would eat pork with us in private ; but we could
never prevail upon them to touch the two laft articles.
The way o f fpending their time appears to. be very fimple,
and to admit o f little variety. They rife with the fun ; and,
after enjoying the cool o f the evening, retire to reft a few
hours after fun-fet. The making o f canoes and mats forms
the occupations of the Erees; the women are employed in
manufacturing cloth ; and the Eowtows are principally engaged
in the plantations and fiihing. Their idle hours are
filled up with various amufements. Their yoting men and
women are fond o f d ancing; and, on more folemn occa-
fions, they have boxing and wreftling matches, after the
manner o f the Friendly Iilands; though, in all thefe re-
fpecSts, they are much inferior to the latter.
Their dances have a much nearer refemblance to thofe o f
the New Zealanders, than o f'th e Otaheiteans or Friendly
Illanders. They are prefaced with a flow, folemn fong, in
which all the party join, moving their legs, and gently ftrik-
ing their breafts, in a manner, and with attitudes, that are
perfectly
perfectly eafy aiid gra ce fu l; and fo far they are the fame ^779-
wit h the dances o f the Society Iilands. When'this has lafted > —
about ten minutes, both the tune and the motions gradually
quicken, and end only by their inability to fupport the
fa tigu e ; which part o f the performance is the exaCt counter
part o f that o f the New Zealanders; and fas it is among
them) the perfon who ufes the molt violent aCtion, and
holds out the longeft, is applauded as the beft dancer. It is
to be obferved, that, in this dance, the women only take a
part, and that the dancing o f the men is nearly o f the fame
kind with what we faw o f the fmall parties at the Friendly
Iilands ; and which may, perhaps, with more propriety, be
called the accompaniment of fongs, with correfponding and
graceful motions o f the whole body. Yet as we were fpec-
tators o f boxing exhibitions, o f the fame kind with thofe we
were entertained with at the Friendly Iilands, it is probable
that they had likewife their grand ceremonious dances, in
which numbers o f both fexes affifted.
Their mufic is alfo o f a ruder kind, having neither flutes '
nor reeds, nor inftruments o f any other fort, that we faw,
except drums o f various lizes. But their fongs, which they
fung in parts*, and accompany with a gentle motion o f the
arms,
* As this circumftarice, o f their ftnging in parts, has been much- doubted by.
perfohs eminently ikilled in mufic, and would be exceedingly curious .if it was
clearly afcer-tained, it is to be lamented that it cannot be more pofitively authenticated.
Captain Burney,, and Captain Phillips of. the Marines, who both have a tolerable
knowledge of muiic, have given it as their opinion,, that they did fing in parts j that
is to fay, that they fung together in different notes,, which formed a pleaiing harmony
...
Thefe gentlemen have fully teftified, that the Friendly Illanders undoubtedly,
ftudied their performances before they were exhibited in public j that they had an
idea of different notes being ufeful in harmony j and alfo, that they rehearfed
-their. •
%