Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-27

L
ed by different clan. For instance
the Papara district, of which I shall
have something more to say in an
other letter, belongs to Tati Salmon
and the people of that district be.
long to the Salmon clan.
The central figure on the platform
with the judges of events was Prince
Pomare, the direct descendant of
the king who sold the islands to the
| French government. He draws a
pension of something like $4,000 a
year and has the right of pardon,
consequently he is looked up to by
his people as if he were the reign
ing sovereign. The governor and his
staff and all of the officials grace
the occasion by their presence, and
the natives feel that they are really
of some importance in the general
scheme of affairs.
Immense p1acards are posted all
over the city and on the roads over
the islands, telling of the events
which are to take place during the
festivities and announcing their
excellence. 1t is significant of the
way things are run to note that
there is prize for every clan that
enters into competition. The events
enumerated cover the singing of
''himines," dancing, canoeing, spear
ing, racing, yachting, sham fights
and pyrotechnics. OF this all there
was nothing more interesting than
the singing of the himines. This
word, as may readily be understood,
is corruption of the word hymn of
the missionaries, and if one listens
to the weird music in the darkness
of the night there is something about
it that makes the flesh creep.
There is no native music in Tah-
til nor is there a native tune. Every
song or himine that I heard had it's
origin in some familiar tune heard
in other lands. Hymns mingled with
dance hall tunes, and it was no I'M.
usual thing to have solemn tune
suddenly branch off into the lively
air of the French dance hall. Even
your own Dixie found place in
the repertoire and l must say that
as much as I loved the old tune
felt that those natives had improved
it by their rendition of the air. OF
course, all these tunes carry a ma
tive song. 1t asked what they sang
about and was told that most of the
himines were improvisions, the
leader making up the words on the
spur of the moment, or relating
some of the adventures Of the peo-
pie about him. They are based on
the incidents Of the day or some Of
the happenings of the trip to town,
and in several instances were made
up about certain peculiarities of the
people who came to Tahiti to see
the natives dance and to hear them
sing.
The himines are sung by leader,
! and the other members of the party
numbering from twenty to two hun
dred, join in the chorus. While the
tune is carried by a few, the re-
mainder carrying on a peculiar dron-
ing sound in accompaniment, much
resembling the sound of pipe Or
gan. The chief popularity of this
is the long sustained final note,
which carried out the impression of
an organ more than can be mag
ined. While the main part of the
chorus carry out this organ sound
number of male voices emit a
series of grunts, caused by quick
pressure of the arms against the
sides. These grunts resembling in
degree the croaking notes of frogs.
The natives say that the frog notes
were taken from the sounds emitted
by the frogs in the marshes of the
islands.
This singing is carried on without
any musical instrument of any sort,
the high-pitched voice of the female
leader starting the tune in a most
peculiar manner. Just as you think
the song has been finished, she
leads with several words and then
the entire body of singers join in
and the verse is carried to the end,
finishing with the long drawn out
final note. There is great similar
ity between the tunes, and with the
exception of the dance hall tunes
and Dixie, one would think they
were all alike. But with all the in
congruity there is complete harmony
all through the singing and one
feels that he is listening to the songs
of another world.