Page:Williams and Calvert, Fiji and the Fijians, New York, 1860.djvu/138

 112 FIJI AKD THE FIJIAJN'S. down the side of the bowl, carrying with it the edge of the vau ; at the same time, his right hand is performing a similar operation at the side next to him, the finger pointing downwards, and the palm presenting outwards. He does this slowly, from side to side, gradually descending deeper and deeper, till his fingers meet each other at the bottom, so that nearly the whole of the fibres of the root are by these means enclosed in the vau, forming as it were a roll of above two feet in length, lying along the bottom from side to side, the edges of the vau meeting each other underneath. He now carefully rolls it over, so that the edges overlapping each other, or rather intermingling, come uppermost. He next doubles in the two ends, and rolls it carefully over again, endeav- ouring to reduce it to a narrower and firmer compass. He now brings it cautiously out of the fluid, taking firm hold of it by the two ends, one in each hand, (the back of the hands being upwards,) and, raising it breast high, with his arms considerably extended, he brings his right hand toward his breast, moving it gradually onwards ; and, whilst his left hand is coming round towards his right shoulder, his right hand partially twisting the vau, lays the end which it holds upon the left elbow, so that the vau lies thus extended upon that arm, one end being still grasped by the left hand. • The right hand being now at liberty, is brought under the left fore-arm, (which still remains in the same situ- ation,) and carried outwardly towards the left elbow, that it may again seize, in that situation, the end of the van. The right hand then de- scribes a bold curve outwardly from the chest, whilst the left comes across the chest, describing a curve nearer to him, and in the opposite direction, till at length, the left hand is extended from him, and the right approaches to the left shoulder, gradually twisting the vau by the turn and flexures principally of that wrist : this double motion is then retraced, but in such a way (th& left wrist now principally acting) that the vau, instead of being untwisted, is still more twisted, and is at length again placed on the left arm, while he takes a new and less constrained hold. Thus the hands and arms perform a variety of curves of the most graceful description : the muscles, both of the arms and chest, are seen rising as they are called into action, displaying what would be a fine and uncommon subject of study for the painter ; for no combina- tions of animal action can develope the swell and play of the muscles with more grace or with better effect. The degree of strength which he exerts, when there is a large quantity, is very great, and the dexterity with which he accomplishes the whole never fails to excite the attention and admiration of all present Sometimes the fibres of the vau are heard to crack with the increasing tension, yet the mass is seen whole