hen moved to the right, the other to the left, and thus
they moved round and round the room, till at last they approached, and
each seized a sword. As they did so, the music began to play a brisker
measure; the warriors passed and repassed each other, now cutting, now
crossing swords, retiring and advancing, one kneeling as though to
defend himself from the assaults of his adversary, at times stealthily
waiting for an advantage, and quickly availing himself of it.

The measure throughout was admirably kept, and the frequent turns were
simultaneously made by both dancers, accompanied by the same eccentric
gestures. At each successful pass, the screams of delight uttered by
the spectators, and their shouts of applause, rang through the room,
exciting the performers to fresh exertions; the noise increased by the
loud clang of the musical instruments, as the musicians, excited by the
scene, beat time with great vehemence.

At length, wearied out, the first two dancers retired, and were
succeeded by a single man, with a spear poised high above his head. He,
as had the others, stepped forward slowly, turning round and round, now
advancing, now retiring, now brandishing it furiously, now pretending to
hurl his weapon at his enemies. This dance is called the _Talambong_.

The next set of dancers used shields in addition to their swords, and
went through very similar movements. These dances, I understood, are
very similar to those performed by the South Sea Islanders, and I
suspect that they differ but little from those practised in the present
day in the Shetland Islands and Norway, at the other side of the globe.

Although we were obliged to consider ourselves as prisoners, we were not
treated as slaves; indeed the chief sent a little black girl from the
coast of New Guinea, to attend on Eva. The child proved not only
useful, but a source of great interest to her. She had been captured at
a very early age, with her mother, and a brother and sister, by the
piratical prahus of a neighbouring tribe; and those to whose share she
fell, sold her to her present owner for some bees' wax and a few bundles
of rattans. Her figure was short, and her features very flat; but she
was so intelligent and lively that she was a general favourite. We
called her "Little Nutmeg," the name she bore sounding exactly like that
word; and she answered at once to it. Eva used to try and teach her
English; and the child was so anxious to learn