Spinning the cocoa-nut was another amusement.  A party sat down in a circle, and one in the centre spinned a cocoa-nut.  When it rested they saw to whom the three black marks or eyes on the end of the shell pointed, and imposed upon him some little service to the whole, such as unhusking chestnuts, or going for a load of cocoa-nuts.  This is especially worthy of remark, as it was the Samoan method of casting lots.  If a number of people were unwilling to go a message or do a piece of work, they decided the matter by wheeling round the cocoa-nut to see to whom it turned its face, as they called it, when it rested.  Sometimes they appealed to this lot, and fixed the charge of stealing on a person towards whom the face of the cocoa-nut pointed.

They had also a game of hide-and-seek, with the addition that those who hid tried to escape those who sought, and ran to a given post or mark.  All who reached the post were counted towards making up the game.

Pitching small cocoa-nut shells to the end of a mat was a favourite amusement of the chiefs.  They tried to knock each other’s shells off the given spot.  They played in parties of two and two, with five shells each.  They who had most shells left on the place after all had thrown won.

They had also guessing sports.  One party hid, the other bundled up one of their number in a large basket covered over with a mat or cloth.  Then they too hid, all but three, who carried the basket to the other party for them to guess who was in it.  If they guessed correctly, then they in turn got the basket to do the same.  The successful guesses were counted for the game.

They were in the habit of amusing themselves with riddles, of which the following are a specimen:—­

     “1.  A man who continues standing out of doors with a burden on his
     back.—­Explanation. A banana tree, with a bunch of bananas.

     “2.  There are twenty brothers, each with a hat on his
     head.—­Explan. A man’s fingers and toes; the nails of which are
     represented as hats.

     “3.  A man who stands between two ravenous fish.—­Explan. The
     tongue, as being placed between the teeth of the upper and lower
     jaws.

     “4.  There are four brothers, who are always bearing about their
     father.—­Explan. The Samoan pillow, formed by four legs and a
     bamboo; the legs being the four brothers, the bamboo the father.

     “5.  There is a man who calls out continually day and
     night.—­Explan. The surf on the reef, which never rests.

“6.  There is a man who, when he leaves the bush, is very little; but when he has reached the sea-shore, becomes very great.—­Explan. The bark of the paper-mulberry, which, when first taken off the wood, is very narrow; but, when beaten out to make the native cloth, becomes very broad.

     “7.  A man who has a white head stands above the fence, and reaches
     to the heavens.—­Explan. The smoke rising from the oven.