The record-union., 1893-11-14
ADJUSTMENTS

AMUSEMENPS
Moors' South Sea Islander Troupe APP
peared at the Metropolitan Theater last
night, and will appear again tonight, to-
morrow night and tomorrow afternoon.
1t is thoroughly good show. 1t pos
sesses peculiar interest because 1t brings
the spectator so near 10 the civilization of
OF a people OF whom we have heard so
much, and for whom 50 much sincere
sympathy and kindly feeling has been
enkindied III this country. No one OF
sensibility can witness the performance
and fail to feel that he has been informed
and has a better understanding of the
character of the Samoans, their love of
liberty, their susceptibility to civilizing
influences, and their remarkable trans
formation from sayagery to Christianity.
They come from the land OF endless sum-
mer and of floral wealth, and their love
for flowers and the simple adOrnment
of the person with floral wealth
and rare foliage, their delight in music,
their faithfuiness in friendship and their
loyalty to pledges, are matters of COM
mon knowledge and speak for them to all
generous souls. There are upward of
thirty Samoans i'll the troupe, with TWO
Fijians and two Hawaiians. Of the Sa-
means fou are women. They are comely
women, too, and one may be pronounced
pretty. Graceful these women are. in
degree surprising to all beholders. Free
from corsetS and the restraints Of volum-
inous robes, the pinch and bind of fash
ion, yet clad modeStly, these Samoan
girls with their great innocent eyes, their
finely arched Drows, their glitteringly
white teeth, that any belle might envy,
their expressive countenances, are at
tractlve, strangely SO, though their race
I'll Tonf
meet our ideas OF beauty in nothing eX-
cept in their perfect freedom of move
ment and grace of carriage. The women
we know who can move gracefully bare
footed are few indeed, but these South
Sea Island bellies, though clad in the
most ungracefui robes, and their feet un
shod, are as easy in carriage as
the most exacting could demand.
There is one saucy Hawaiian
woman who, compared with her Samoan
sisters, loses badly, and the contrast
presents the latter TO ali the better adVan-
tage. The men are said to be by no
means picked lot, but as a rule they are
splendid specimens of humanity, tall,
muscular as are only the few, and pos
sesSed evidently OF wonderful strength.
The most ponderouS among them are as
quick on foot as a deer, and their hands
in use move with lightning-lke rapidity
and remarkable grace. They are tattooed
from the waist to the knee, the marking
showing above and below the tapa cloth
bound about the loins and dropping care
Iessly to Just above the knee. Their head
dresses, neck ornaments, WrlStletS and
anklets, are such as they wear in war, i'll
daily life and their sports and games; they
changing the ornamentatiOn thrice dur
ing the evening in material points. The
entertainment consists OF dances, songs
and drills Their singing IS singularly
attractive. The chromatic scale is in use
with them, unlike the Chinese, who have
no semi-toues. The singing is within
limited register, and much Oft reSem bles
the chants OF the Gregorian order, with
lust a suspicion of the pleading and wall
ing, or the passion and anger OF the
savage as moved by moods. In the
dances the chanting is monotonous but
tuneful. Their time is simply perfect.
In the songs of genealogy, OF love, OF
thanksgiving, of invocation there is
wonderful charm. They are melodious
and full of feeling. One cannot for a
moment think that it is assumption, mere
acting'on the part of the singers; there is
too much depth of feeling to be belied.
In The invocation motion song notably
there is a richness of melody that even
some more civilized Yocalists might envy.
The dances vary little so far as the move
ment of the feet are concerned; but In all
else each is distinct from the other.
When these Samoans dance they dance
all over, feet, legs, arms, body, head,
eyes, facial muscles-all. Their dancing
is not rude, as with the American In
dams. There is no ungraceful bodily
contortion, no cramped, crooked and re-
pulsive position of the person-on the
contrary, while it is muscular yigor In
violent though rythmlc motion, 1t is
strangely winning and one wants 1t to
continue and develop new characteristics.
The Hawaiian woman ana man gave four
songs, of love. betrothal, praise and be-
seeching that were very pretty, the woman
picking guitar In accompaniment. w Whlle
her voice is metallic, there is singular
feeling in it. She gave also the celebrated
Hula Hula dance, which is simply bodily
movement timed to a monotonouS rock
ing from one foot to the other In these
sinuous movements there is or is not sug-
gestiOn, as the spectator is or is not quick
and desirous to so Interpret it. One very
interesting exhibit was the Samoan
method OF kindling fire; the best drill
was that of the war clubs; and the most
stirring dance the Fiiian witch dance,
with the sorceress and witch doctors with
their drums and beating sticks urging
the whirling, leaping dancers to even
greater exertion. The entertainment
concluded by the entire company rising
(the women modestly pulling down their
tapa-cloth skirts as they arose. and the
whole party singing our National hymn,
''America." in the soft, sibliant, musical
Samoan tongue, phonetic language
opulent in vowels. Mr.. Mitchell, during
the performance, makes clear and very
pleasant explanations. and communl-
Gates deal of valuable information con-
cerning this strange people from 4.S00
miles away, where the South Pacific
teaches them rugged music as 1t beats
upon their shores, and the soft winds
moving among tropical foliage suggests
to them gentle and pleasing harmouies.
1t is an hour aud a half we'll spent 10 wit
ness the entertainment of these once
savages, now Christianized people. The
genuine applause last night was replied
I TO by the SamoanS with several repeti-
tions. The applause was sincere and well
deserved, and the grant of encores added
much to the pleasure of the entertain-
ment.
The Congregational Church was packed
last night on the occasion of the concert
by Chevalier De Kontski, under the
auspices of the Sacramento Lecture As
sociation. The Chevalier was aided by a
quartet composed of Messrs. Cohn, Bell
house, Beardslee aud kinross, which
filled four numbers of the programme
most aceeptaDiy. Ihe CheNaller opeDed
the entertainment with an organ solo.
His second number was on the piano.
and consisted of three divisions from
Beethoven; his third, 'The Awakening
OF the Lion,n his own composition. was
the winner of the most applause; prob
ably no piano solo was ever so sincerely
and warmly applauded here. His Sec
gA 50 - 80