Page 361
An. 1686
Their Dances. A Story of J. Thacker.
When the Ramdam time was over, and the dry time fet in a little, the General, to oblige Captain Swan, entertained him every night with Dances. The dancing Women that are purpofely bred up to it, and make it their Trade, I have already de- fcribed. But befide them all the Women in gene- ral are much addicted to Dancing. They dance 40 or 50 at once: and that ftanding all round in a Ring joined hand in hand, and finging and keep- ing time. But they never budge out of their places, nor makeany motion till the Chorus is fung; then all at once they throw out one Leg, and bawl out aloud; and fometime they only clap their hands when the Chorus is fung. Captain Swan, to re- talliate the Generals favours, fent for his Violins, and fome that could dance English Dances; where- with the General was very well pleafed. They commonly spent the biggeft part of the nights in thefe fort of Paftimes.
Among the reft of our Men that did ufe to dance thus before the General, there was one John Thack- er, who was a Seaman bred, and could neither write nor read; but had formerly learnt to dance in the Mufick-houfes about Wapping: This man came into the South Seas with Captain Harris, and getting with him a good quantity of Gold, and be- ing a pretty good husband of his fhare, had ftill fome left, befides what he laid out in a very good fuit of Clothes. The General fuppofed by his garb and his dancing, that he had been of noble ex- traction: and to be fatisfy'd of his Quality, asked of one of our men if he did not guess aright of him? The man of whom the General asked this queftion told him, he was much in the right; and that moft of our Ships company were of the like extraction; efpecially all thofe that had fine Clothes; and that they came abroad only to fee the World, having Money enough to bear their expences