Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/147

Rh at least, walking round the yard with a slow and grave pace, every now and then striking their left arms very hard, by which they caused a deep and very loud noise, and which it seems was a challenge to each other, or to any one of the company who chose to engage in the exercise. Within the house stood the old men ready to applaud the victor, and some few women who seemed to be here out of compliment to us, as much the larger number absented themselves upon the occasion.

The general challenge being given as above, the particular soon followed it, any man singling out his antagonist by joining the finger-ends of both hands level with the breast, and moving the elbows up and down; if this was accepted, the challenged immediately returned the signal, and both instantly put themselves in an attitude to engage. This they very soon did, striving to seize each other by the hands, hair, or the cloth round the waist, for they had no other dress. They then attempted to seize each other by the thigh, which commonly decided the contest, by the fall of him who was thus taken at a disadvantage; if this was not soon done, they always parted either by consent, or their friends interfered in less than a minute, in which case both began to clap their arms, and seek anew for an antagonist, either in each other or some one else. When any one fell, the whole amusement ceased for a few moments, while the old men in the house gave their applause in a few words which they repeated together in a kind of tune. This lasted about two hours, during all which time the man whom we observed at our first landing continued to beat the people who did not keep at a proper distance; we understood that he was some officer belonging to Dootahah, and was called his Tomite.

The wrestling over, the gentlemen informed me that they understood that two hogs and a large quantity of bread-fruit, etc., were cooking for our dinner; news which pleased me very well, as I was by this time sufficiently prepared for the repast. I went out and saw the ovens in which they were buried; these the Indians readily showed