of the band, as
well as those who performed upon the bamboos, sung a slow and soft air,
which so tempered the harsher notes of the above instruments, that no
bye-stander, however accustomed to hear the most perfect and varied
modulation of sweet sounds, could avoid confessing the vast power, and
pleasing effect, of this simple harmony.

[Footnote 160: Mr Andersen's account of the night dances being much
fuller than Captain Cook's, the reader will not be displeased that it
has been adopted.--D.]

The concert having continued about a quarter of an hour, twenty women
entered the circle. Most of them had, upon their heads, garlands of the
crimson flowers of the China rose, or others; and many of them had
ornamented their persons with leaves of trees, cut with a deal of nicety
about the edges. They made a circle round the chorus, turning their
faces toward it, and began by singing a soft air, to which responses
were made by the chorus in the same tone; and these were repeated
alternately. All this while, the women accompanied their song with
several very graceful motions of their hands toward their faces, and in
other directions at the same time, making constantly a step forward, and
then back again, with one foot, while the other was fixed. They then
turned their faces to the assembly, sung some time, and retreated slowly
in a body, to that part of the circle which was opposite the hut where
the principal spectators sat. After this, one of them advanced from each
side, meeting and passing each other in the front, and continuing their
progress round, till they came to the rest. On which, two advanced from
each side, two of whom also passed each other, and returned as the
former; but the other two remained, and to these came one, from each
side, by intervals, till the whole number had again formed a
circle-about the chorus.

Their manner of dancing was now changed to a quicker measure, in which
they made a kind of half turn by leaping, and clapped their hands, and
snapped their fingers, repeating some words in conjunction with the
chorus. Toward the end, as the quickness of the music increased, their
gestures and attitudes were varied with wonderful vigour and dexterity;
and some of their motions, perhaps, would, with us, be reckoned rather
indecent. Though this part of the performance, most probably, was not
meant to convey any wanton ideas, but merely to display the astonishing
variety of their movements.

To this gran