m m a c c o u n t o f
that they plig ht be -made gayvmd rejoice withpis own
“ people after fubduing his enemies
• In the afternoon the King took Captain W ilson and his-
, companions to. fee fome canoes that were then building*;. and
■ Shewed .them alfo fome o f their boat-houfes', which were
. well conftrufted, nicely thatched, and not unlike thofe that
ar$ made in EN&EkND. From hence they, were carried to
- ice fome other, canoes, which were juft come in from an ex-
• pedition they had been fent on by thcmfelvesy.and from
which, after four days abfence, they had returned vicftorious,
having brought in- one canoe'of the,.enemy* though' not a
i fingle prifonerV The obtaining a canoe, however, trifling
it may appear to a. reader, is equal to the capture of.th e
.. largeft Ihip of. war in Europe ; as their battles are generally.
fought near Ihore, and, when there is no appearance e>f
fuccefs, they, get to land and liaftily haul up their canoesi s;
In-the evening our people were entertained with a dance o f
the warriors, who were juft then returned, which was per-
; - formed, in the following ma n n e r T h e dancers have a quan-
-tity.of plantain leaves brought to them, which they fplit, and
flower into , the form of ribbands, thefe they then, twine and
. fix round their heads, wrifts, waifts, ankles,, and knees, and
. the leaves being o f yellowifh hue, fo prepared, have not am
inelegant .effedt when applied to their dark copper fkin. They
make alfo bunches or taflels o f the fame, which they hold in
their hands. When drawn out, they form themfelyes into
| circles
Mf e® F H E f „ l S | A H 0 S . 1.17
cirple-s of^t-wOlprntlMepi.de^pfepnci tyithin, aTjafch^f* I?11 general 1783,;
t ' SfiPTEMB]
an elderly m an anaopgft them! be„gjn§y inja yg^y+folemptfone,
fon^ethipg like a fongyor l,ong^fen|en|e,yi|bf phr^^hmtr y men.
could not (liferimihate .which/ it was*-and when he comes to
a.paufe* or .what we fhopldj call the end of a- ftjmza* a ..chorus
is ftruck up, and the dancers all join in concert, Hill contr- **
nuing, their figure. Their, dancing does- not fo muclrcon-
ftft in .capering; o r:.agility, as • in a, particular .method they
have o f .balancing themfelyes,-:.and. this frequently very; low
fi.de.ways, ftngirig together all the : While ;/ during-■ Which
they: will .flatten: th eir. circles, fo as. to. bring themfelves face
to.face-1©:each other, lifting;-upfhe taflels they hold in their
handsi?andigg}iving',thfemi.a clafhingt or tfemuldSfe imetiob i
after this there will be~.-a fudden. paufe, and an exclamation
from..every voic&W.eel!. Then a new fentence. drlitartz^fis
repeated^ andj. dahded: totaas before;, amduthe fame ’ceremony
continued,' till every man who .is/engaged*n the dance has
in hisitunn had his- repetkion and ehopas»
During this 'feftivity two large tubs o f fweet drink Were
brought in,, which were ferved out., firft to the-Englfb and
the principal people prefent, who juft tailed it, -and then the
tuby were carried to the warriors; and when the dance was
ended they all fat-down - upon the fquaie, and the drink .was
ferved out .to them by.four perfons who fecmed fo be'‘-people
o f note, , haying bones upon, their wriftsfpthe -warriors
then removed to a! houfe, at wh ich ' a fupper was prepared
fog.'