Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/237

 206 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., I, 1899

Williams l describes the Fijian swing as supplying a favorite amusement to children and young people. It consists of a single cord, either a rope or strong vine, suspended from a tree and having at its lower end a loop in which to insert one foot as in a stirrup, or a knot on which both feet rest. Grasping at a con- venient height the cord, which varies in length from 30 to 50 feet, the swinger is set in motion and rejoices to dart through the air, describing an arc that would terrify a European.

Tregear" describes a New Zealand swing, mover e or moari, consisting of a pole with ropes at the top held by runners, the 4< giant's stride," sometimes played on the edge of cliffs, half the swing being over the abyss.

Taylor, 1 under he tnorere % he moari, says: "This is a lofty pole, generally erected near a river, from the top of which about a dozen ropes are attached ; the parties who use it take hold of them, and swing round, going over the precipice, and, whilst doing so, sometimes let go, falling into the water. Occasionally serious accidents have thus occurred by striking the bank."

3. Ma-hi-ki: SEE-SAW. — This is commonly played by girls, who sit astride a board. Two or three sit on each side with two boys standing back to back in the middle.

Wilkes 4 says:

" They had likewise the amusement of see-saw, which has not yet gone out of fashion, and is performed in a manner somewhat different from ours. A forked post is placed in the ground; on this a long pole is placed, which admits several on each side. After two or three ups and downs, they try which shall give the opposite party a tumble. This is, at times, adroitly done, and down they all fall, to the infinite amusement both of their adversaries and the bystanders, who indulge in loud laughter and merriment at the expense of those who are so un- lucky as to get hurt."

4. Ho-h-li-o: " HORSE- RIDING." — Boys play "horse/* riding astride a stick.

��1 Op. cit., p. 127. * Page 173.

•Page 115. 4 Vol. iv t p. 47.

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