Norwich bulletin., 1919-09-25
IN THE DAYS NEWS
Tahiti Gives Strange Welcome.

When the boys Of Tahiti came marching home from the World War the fantastic native dances. the him inies or folk songs which have been compared to Wagrerian opera. and the
 ancient fire walking ceremony. were revived to welcome them.
 , These customs, all but suppressed by civilizing French influences, were among the most interesting practices of PolyHesian peoples, according to a bulletin from the National Geographic Society
 Tahiti women were extolled by early travellers being the most
 beautiful in the Pacific Islands; their men still are fine physical specimens;
 lated people has been one of the won ders Of science says the bulletin.
 The Tahitians knew some of the constellations, navigated by the posi- music which is startling, yet preserved many savage customs, such as pluck ing an eye from human being to be placed in the mouth of priest as an acceptable offering to their gods, and encouraging their women to suckle dogs, pigs and other animals held in
 high Neneration.
 The bulletin then quotes from q heard old time songs and saw native the late s. P. Langley WHO visft. d the island nearly twenty years ago and heard old time songs and SOW native dances and rites. which have been revived to honor the men who fought under Allied colors in France
 The native women sing Lirninies' with some very striking effects he wrote The voices have something plangent and metallic in them, yet are melodious and in harmony. Tn the first song, at the end of each verse all stopped suddenly. giving the effect of the 'couac' of the opera singer. In all the verses there was an under tone beneath the song. This under tone continued alone for a few seconds at the end of each verse, after the superposed song was finished, and died out separately and slowly, like the drone of some great bagpipe The natives gave names to each of us, mine being 'A-tohi. which means 'qui les lauriers.
 T went out to the public dancing and singing, in competition for prizes offered by the government. It takes place in the square before the govern ment house, and everybody is there either performing or looking on AL most the whole popula ton of the is- land has come
 The chief interest among the is- flanders seems to lie in the competi- ton of singing 'himinies' and next to that. in the dancing, which is pantomi- mic as much as regular. As public show, most Of the native dances are unpresentable. so that. I have under stood. the authorities have had some difficulty in finding a dance which will do for such an occasion. Savages are here from the neighboring islands, a hne-looking chief from Cook island taking a part. and woman from the same island gave little of the pre- sentable part of the -Hoola Hoola' Her body would be auivering like a jelly, and suddenly grow rigid as statue-l a notably odd effect.
 Tn one very good dance by the Cook. islander over thirty persons take part. They sit down in three rows representing rowers in a canoe. while two scull and steer. They have pad dles, and paddle to the sound of drums 1 A lookout man sweeps the horizon i'll he sees a big fish, and the canoe rows for him. One of the steerers sharpens a harpoon and passes it forward and pooned. There is a tremendous time in pulling him in: he runs around and entangles the line among the bystanders, and finally he gets a sec ond harpoon in him. is hauled on board, and Gin pantomime) cut up with an ax, dismembered. and eaten by the crew. Everybody is in motion, but it 1 is rather a pantomime than dance
 '1n the afternoon I went over to see Within a hundred yards of the ship a shallow pit is dug about 3 feet by 20 by IS inches deep. This is to be filled with firewood, and the stones f1ea ned on the wood. These are smooth, wa er-worn, volcanic stones of varying size, but all rather large and weighing at guess, from IS to 50 pounds The number of stones was about 200 and their average length about 15 inches. mony, took a tin ships measure full |