Meë low folla, i. e. a dance with the arms outspread a night dance. Meë too buggi, i. e. a dance standing up with paddles a day dance. Hea; sometimes a day dance, but mostly a night dance. Oola; a night dance. These public exhibitions of dances naturally lead us to speak of their music and poetry: in regard to their musical instruments, they have already been mentioned, except the fangofango, which is a sort of flute blown by the nose it is always filled by the right nostril, the left being closed with the thumb of the left hand. There are generally five holes for the fingers, and one underneath for the thumb; though some have six holes for the fingers, and others only four. The sound of them is soft and grave: they are only used as an accompaniment to one species of song called oo'be. At all concerts where there is no dancing, the singers sit during the whole time. The following are the different kinds of song used among them. Low folla; this is only used with the dance so called, and is in the Tonga language. Láve; of a similar character with the above: sung without dancing, but accompanied with motions of the hands; also in the Tonga language. Langi mee too buggi; that which is always used with the dance so called in the Hamoa language. : Hea; only used with the dance thus named: sometimes Tonga, but mostly Hamoa. Hiva; similar to the above, but sung without dancing: they call European singing hiva, because probably the hiva is very seldom accompanied either with music or clapping of the hands always in the Tonga language. Oo'la; that kind of singing which is accompanied by the dance so called to this the annexed specimen belongs: generally in the Hamoa language. Fucca Neuha; or the Neuha fashion of singing this is never accompanied with dancing, and is always sung in the Tonga language. Most of their songs are descriptive of scenery, but some of these are descriptive of past events, or of places which are out of their reach, such as Bolo'too and Papalangi: the accounts they give of the latter place are ludicrous enough. The poet describes, among other things, the animals belonging to the country, stating that in the fields there are large pigs with horns, that eat grass, and at the mooa there are houses that are pulled along by enormous birds. The women are described to be so covered with dress, that a native of Tonga coming into a house takes a lady for a bundle of Papalangi gnatoo, (linen, &c.) and accordingly places it across his shoulder to carry it away, when to his great amazement the bundle jumps down and runs off. One of these songs describes the principal events that happened during Captain Cook's visit, and which, excepting a little exaggeration, is tolerably correct another describes the visit of Admiral d'Entrecasteaux: another the revolution of Tonga, and the famous battle that was there fought, &c. The song which is given in the first volume, p. 307, belongs to this class of musical composition. Some of these songs have neither regular measure nor rhyme, but others have both. Oo'be; this kind of singing is always accompanied with the fango-fango, (or nose-flute): the subjects of the song are much the same as those last described, but the style of music is different, being more monotonous and grave. It is now very seldom sung. Tow a'lo, is never accompanied with instrumental music; they are mostly short songs, sung in canoes when paddling, the strokes of the paddle being coincident with the cadence of the tune. They are very frequently sung on leaving Vavaoo, whilst paddling out of the inlet. It may not be unacceptable to give the following as an example: it is a very usual one, and expresses regret at leaving Vavaoo and its beautiful prospects, famous for the manufacture of superior toogi hea, (gnatoo stained with the hea,) to go to the islands of Toofooa and Kao, noted for making coarse mats. Oia'ooć! goo'a mo/w téoo felo'w, Ca too goo Mo'oonga-la'fa, béa mo Talo'w! Moë Halla-vy' gi Ma'ccapa'pa; Ma'ttalo'co, mo fa'nga myíle, A'na a Too'taw-i, bela Mofoo'e ; Iky' téoo too' gi he hífoa'nga, Ji'o hifo gi' he felo'w tafa'nga: Toogoo he toogi-héa a Ha'foolooho'w Ger va'la he gna'fi-gnali a Tofoo'a mo Kalo. Alas! we are entering upon our voyage By leaving Mo'oonga-la'fa and Talo'w! Anxious am I to stay ;-who can wish to go? And Licoo-o'ne, and Va'oo-a'ca, The road of springs near Maccapa'pa, Mattal co and the myrtle plain, The cave of Tootaw-i, the beach of Vofoo'ë, No longer can I stand upon high places *, This alludes to the Hapai islands being for the most part And look downwards on the fleet of small canoes.— The above is a translation as literal as the sense will allow of this song: it must not, however, be taken as a specimen of the best ; it is given because it is the only one of this kind that Mr. Mariner is acquainted with. Such are the names of their different kinds of songs, some of which are to be considered pieces of recitative, particularly those according to the Neuha mode: others again have a considerable variety of tone, and approach to the character of European music: such for example is the latter part of that which we have given the notation of*. Those who are skilled in the composition of songs and music often retire for several days to the most romantic and retired spots of Vavaoo, to indulge their poetic genius, and then return to the mooa with several new compositions, which they introduce at the first opportunity. The man who is related p. 264. to have cut off his own leg, was very ex flat, and although Tofoo'a and Ka'o are both high islands, yet they have not such steep descents as are common at Vavaoo. They have no distinction of term between recitative and actual singing, they call it all hiva (to sing) this word happens to mean also the number nine. |