The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-01
a oAMOAN DANCE.
picturesque Scene In the Lotus Land
of the racific."


. picturesque Scene In the Lotus Land
OF the raciflc."
Ahe girls, having announced that they
would give "a dance that night, after a
shoe interval of rest spent the remainder
OF the afternoon weaving wroaths Of flow.
ers and dressing their hair When night
came, the guesthouse was lighted with two
or three lamps placed upon the floor, and
screen was arranged at the far end, be-
hind which the girls retired 60 make their
preparations Four musicians seated them
selves on one side and proceeded TO beat a
sort OF wooden drum, at the sound of
which the guests began TO assemble Mel
Their the chief nor the old men showed
themselves, as the silva Is looked upon
with great Gisfavor by the missionaries,
and the elders doubtless thought it would
not DO 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 chat
ting laughing and smoking and facing
clear place left in the center for the per-
formers
The musicians beat a sharp tattoo on
the drums, and, at great round of ap.
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 glisten with CO.
coanut oil, their hair Is decorated with
shells and white and scarlet flowers, and
each Is clad In a very short lava lava of
about the size of a large pocket handker-
chief Over this is n fringed and tasseled
girdle made of pandanus fiber and dyed in
brilliant colors, and each wears round the
neck and falling over the breasts a wreath
of strongly scented flowers.
The lamps are now placed upon the edge
OF the mats, and the girls seat themselves
In line facing them. One begins singing
In shrill high pitched voice, and the 9TH
ers in turn take up the strain, the four
voices blending in a weird sort of harmo-
ny, to which the beating of the drums and
the deep bass voices of the musicians make
an effective accompaniment. AS the girls
sing their bodies sway from side to side,
the arms wave gracefully in perfect time,
while the music which commences slow
ly, gradually quickens, until arms, bodies
and voices are going at lightning speed.
Then they gradually slow down again,
and the song dies away in soft, tender
whisper
After moro applause and loud shouts of
"Lelei, lelei! !" (good, good y the girls stand
up, the music starts again. and they begin
TO dance the real Samoan silva, the anath
ema maranatha of the missionary and the
chief delight of the pleasure loving island
er The brown bodies, glistening In the
ftful light, sway from the hips in dreamy,
dangerous motion, while the arms are
waved from side TO side quivering, rising
and falling like the ripping of water when
the breeze kisses its surface. The air Is
heavy with the sensuous odor Of the
wreaths and the scented oil with which
their bodies are anointed The limpid
brown eyes CLEAN with strange light and
are yelled again by the dropping lids.
Again the music quickens, and Is inter
mingled with quaint barbaric discords.
The drums give forth q louder, harsher
uote, and the voluptuous swaying motion
gives place to quick leaps high in the air,
wild gestures and tempestuons tossing of
the limbs The wreaths and girdles whirl
and twist, the eyes that were so soft and
dreamy now CLEAN and sparkle like burn.
ing Goals Louder still sound the shout
ing and the drums, quicker speeds the
dance, till at length with one wild cry it
ceases, and the girls sink on the mats pant
ing and quivering with excitement and
John Harrison Wagner In
Harper's Magazine For September.