The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-09-27

movements were graceful, and the way ii
which the tune, Il one can 80 call it; was
first Of iii sung by th0se in front and
then taken up, third lower; by those be-
will translate the meke' for you. It was
composed for the occasion When they
had come close enough, on signal they
all sat down and began geography les
son. The native teacher called out the
name Of q country, as sPeritanis' brit
ain), and one of the children, in low,
minor key, began to chant peritanis sa
matahitu' Britain is Kingdom). Then
q third higher some other words, where
Britain is, ETC., and then, with swaying
motion of their bodies and q rhythmical
clapping of hands, sometimes beating the
ground, sometimes pointing on one side,
sometimes on the other, and sometimes
joining hands overhead, they all Joined in
chant descriptive of the extent, govern
ment, etc., of the British Empire; 1n fact,
school geography turned into a rather
pretty song. In this way they went
through nearly all the countries in Europe.
Then came the event of the day, the
great State smeke.' The first was the
Flying Fox Dance From the half
hidden roads leading out Of the corners of
the square rame two bands of men dressed
in tlikus' Ia sort of kilt of green and
colored leaves. These were beautifully
made, the leaves lying very thick one
above another, and reaching below their
knees. The men were very fine specimens
of humanity; some had their faces black.
ened or painted black and red, and their
heads done up in the most elaborate way
with white tappa. aarlands of flowers
and leaves hung round their necks, and
they had garters and armlets of bright
colorcd leaves on their arms and legs. To
describe the dance is far beyond my
power. There must have been over 200
men and about sixty children taking part
in it. The two parties approached each
other in the usual meke' form, an odd
mixture of march and dance, and after
various evolutions every man threw away
the huge palm-leaf fan which he carried
in his hand. This was the end of the
first act. In the next part the flying foxes
proceeded to rob banana tree. A pole
was set up in the middle Of the square,
and on the top of it a banana plant, with
bunch of artificial fruit made of htisked
cocoGDlts full of oil. The two bands ad-
vanced, and seemed to consult, and then
messengers were sent out from either
party, to see, suppose, that all was safe.
They went flying round the square with
their arms stretched out, making noise
like flying fox. With great deal of
dancing the main body approached the
tree, and one of them climbed up, while
the little flying foxes circled round and
finally clustered under the tree, crying
with delight at the sight of the fruit. The
fox in the tree hung by his legs and flap
ped his arms, when another climbed after
him, and they bit and scratched and
squallesl just as big bats do, and the first
conner was turned out. The whole dance
lasted about half an hour, and between
each figure there was slight pause. The
time was won nierful-every swish of their
likus was in unison, and they were most
clever in adapting themselves to any in
equality in the ground. There was a
musical accompaniment of native drums
and hollow bamboos, played by about
twenty gayly- dressed old gentlemen.
"Next came club dance The square
was surrounded-except on one side, where
stood the great church--as l ought before
to have mentioned, by plantations of ban
anas and bread fruit; so that one saw
nothing of the preparations and formation,
but heard the chant of the dancers before
they came in from the different paths.
From either side advanced party, each
about eighty strong, marching three
abreast, armed with short spears made of
bamboo, cut into fantastic shapes at the
end, or with the shafts painted or covered
with mating of reeds. As the two par
ties approached each other-very, very
slowly-they chanted, and swung their
bodies from side to side, thrusting and
parrying with their spears, which were
held overhead; every hand and every foot
moving exactly together. When about
twelve yards from each other each body
wheeled away from us. and we saw ad.
vancing between them from some distance
another body of men, of about the same
strength as both the others, but twelve
abreast, and armed with clubs. This
mckee in which over 800 men were
dancing, was wild and picturesque, and
the men fine, well-made fellows, as they
were all Chiefs or men of high birth. The
dresses in this dance were even more brill.
liant than the last Each man had liku
of strips of pandanus leaf, dyed black
yellow and red in strips. Their bodie.
and faces were elaborately painted black
and red, and their heads were done up ir
folds of very fine tappa, white or brown
before) of bright blue. They had sashes
of white tappa in their folds, terminating
sometimes in streamers and sometimes iI
ground, but looped up again into the sash
something like the things the ladies useo
to wear little while ago. Each man oi
{l,<f ov,1y of f1a 1or haIx hoA q
splendid large breast plate of ivory and
pearlshell. Many had large boar's tooth
hung around their necks-rather an effect
i've ornament and armlets, garters, and
bracelets OF shells, ivory, or black water
weed, according to fancy.
The next dance was the most graceful
of all. 1t is called The Waves of the Sea
| and represented the sea coming up on the
| reef. The dresses of the men were much
| the same as in the last, but there were also
number of children, in large likus, and
with garlands and leaves and flowers
First of all, they formed into long line
then breaking the line, danced forward
| ten or twelve at a time, for few steps
bending down their bodies and spreading
out their hands, as the little shoots of {
wave run up on the beach. Then wave
after wave rolled in, and then the end oi
the long line ran round, first few at {
time, some falling back again; then more
and more, as the tide runs up on the shore
side of the reef, and nothing but small
island of coral is left. The band kept uI
sound like the roar of the surf, and the
tides rose aud the waves began to NEE
and battle over the little island, the dane
ers threw their arms over their heads az
they met, and their white, tappa-coveret
heads shook as they bounded into the air
like the spray Of the breaking surf. The
people sitting round screamed with de-
light. The idea of the dance could moi
hav, been more artistically carried out. ,
Stark, Of Bennington.
The recent Centennial anniversary al
Bennington has called to mind many o.
L A. -.