When the Weomen retire to take breath their place is supplyd by the Music and singers which is no way disagreeable when understood being soft and pleasing — at other times a set of Actors supplys their place — the principal part which the[y] perform is Satyr, which is often directed at their Chiefs, and they never fail to expose such Charracters as draw their attention and tho they treat thier Chiefs with great freedom they incur no displeasure so long as they keep to the truth — by this Method they rebuke them for their faults in Publick, having first diverted them to draw their attention — this is done in a kind of Pantomime at which they are so good that any person who knows the Man they mean to represent may easily perceive who they are making the subject of their sport. Nor was it so badly done before we became acquainted with them as to prevent evry spectator from observing that one of their Plays at Which our Commander was present was entirely a representation of Himself and of which He was a Most distinguished Charracter — This was performd at the request of Matte or o’Too and several of the Officers and Crew of the Bounty Were Present. The Houses where they hold these Plays or Dances are in Common no other then a Shed Open at the Front and both ends, the Back part being screend in with Cocoa Nut leaves wove into a kind of Matting for the Purpose. The Back part generally forms one part of a Square which is raild in with a low railing, the Whole Square being laid with Grass & the part they perform on laid with Matts. Without the railing, which is not more then a Foot High, sit or stand the Audience — they somtimes may act at the Houses of the Chief when they leave all the Dresses as a Present; Many of them Contain from 2o to 30 fathoms of Cloth from one to four wide — with the Matting Cloth & Feathers.

The Hewra is the Dance performd by the relations of Warriors Slain in Battle when they make friends with the Man who Killd

Indigenous Histories