The Newtown bee., 1897-09-03

sidered. Thus, though the less culpable
of the two, the woman has to make all
the sacrifice and bear all the punishment;
so that in this matter at least the savage
is quite in touch with the humane senti-
ments of civilization.
A SAMOAN DANCE.
The girls having announced that they
would give a dance that night, after 8
short interval of rest, spent the remainder
of the afternoon weaving wreaths Of
flowers and dressing their hair. When
night came the guest-house was lighted
with two or three lamps placed upon the
floor, and screen was arranged at the
far end, behind which the girls retired
to make their preparations. Four must
clans seated themselves on one side, and
proceeded to beat a sort of wooden drum,
at the sound of which. the guests began
to assemble. Neither the chief nor the
old men showed themselves, as the silva
is looked upon with great disfavor by the
missionaries, and the elders doubtless
thought it would not be decorous of
them to be present, though they gave me
to understand that they had no objection
to the dance taking place. The house
was soon filled with the young men and
girls, who sat chatting, laughing, and
smoking, and facing clear place left in
the center for the performers.
The musicians beat sharp tattoo on
the drums, and, at great round of APP
plause and clapping of hands, the four
girls appear from behind the screen and
take their places in the open space. Their
handsome brown bodies glisteu with CO.
cOanut oil, their hair is decorated with
shells and white and scarlet flowers, and
and each 10 clad in very short lava lava
of about the size of large pocket-hand-
kerchief. Over this is fringed and tas-
selled girdle made of pandanus fibre and
dyed III brilliant colors, and each wears
round the neck and falling over the
breasts q wreath of strongly scented
flowers.
The lamps are now placed upon the
edge of the mats, and the girls seat the n
selves in line facing them. One begins
singing in a shrnl high-pitched voice, and
the others Ia turn take up the strain, the
four voices blending in weird sort of
harmony, to which the beating of the
drums and the deep bass voices of the
musicians make an effective accompani-
ment. AS the girls sing, their bodies
sway from side to side, the arms wave
gracefully in perfect time, while the mu-
sic, which commences slowly, gradually
quickens, until arms, bodies, and voices
are going at lightning speed; then they
gradually slow down again, and the song
dies away in a soft tender whisper.
After more applause, and loud shouts
of "Lelei! lelei!" good goodlD the
girls stand up, the music starts again, and
they begin to dance the real Samoan
silva, the anathema marsnatha of the
missionary, and the chief delight of the
pleasure-loving islander. The brown
bodies, glistening In the fitful light, sway
from the hips in dreamy langurous mo-
ton, while the arms are waved from side |
to side, qnivering, rising, and falling like |
the ripping of water when the breeze
kisses It's surface; the air is heavy with |
the sensuous odor of the wreaths and the |
scented oil with which their bodies are |
Amounted; their limpid brown eyes CLEAN
with strange light, and are yelled again |
by the dropping lids. Again the music |
quickens, and is intermingled with quaint |
barbaric discords; the drums give forth |
q louder, harsher note, and the voluptu-
GUS swaYing motion gives place to quick
leaps high in the air, wild gestures, and
tempestuous tossing OF the limbs; the
wreaths and girdles whirl and twist, the
eyes that were so soft and dreamy now
CLEAN and sparkle like burning Goals
louder still sounds the shouting and the
drums, quicker speeds che dance, till atl