Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/106

 with contortions of the body, throwing around the arms and legs like one of our pasteboard jumping-jacks. This dance is something like the Spanish fandango, only more immoral. It is held in the fale-tele where strangers are entertained. The dance is kept up till sunrise, and ends with a loud shout and a clap of the hands. Many of the nights are spent in this way, and most of the day  is passed in sleeping, eating, and swimming.

There was no king over these islands, but there were several chiefs, each of whom ruled over a district, village,  or bay. The Ten Commandments were the common law of the islands. I will give the "Devils" their due, and say that they entertained us hospitably while we  were in their villages, although they were duly compensated through our traffic with them. Their mode of salutation is to take one’s hand and rub the back of it  over their noses. The first pigs were brought here by Captain Cook. The natives decorated the largest hogs with wreaths of flowers, and tied necklaces of shells  around their necks; in fact, they were fairly carried away  with this, to them, new species of animal. The missionaries have introduced many cattle, horses, and fowls. The first mule that was imported was a "Jumbo" to them. He also was decorated with many gay flowers and wreaths and was marched around the island to gratify the natives  with a sight of him. There are many specimens of manly beauty among the Samoans. As for the women, they are stout and ill-formed. The girls are lively, have expressive countenances, and, what is rare among the  islands of the Pacific, have a degree of bashfulness unlike  their sisters of Tahiti. They have not very musical