laid along the ground, and, by that means, furnifhing 3
tone as acute, as thofe produced by the others were grave.
The reft of the band, as well as thofe who performed upon
the bamboos, fung a flow and foft air, which fo tempered the harfher notes of the above inftruments, that no bye- ftander, however accuftomed to hear the moft perfect and varied modulation of fweet founds, could avoid confeff-
ing the vaft power, and pleafing effeift, o-f this Ample harmony.
The concert having continued about a quarter of an hour, twenty women entered the circle. Moft of them had,
upon their heads, garlands of the crimfon flowers of the
China rofe, or others; and many of them had ornamented
their perfons with leaves of trees, cut with a great deal of
nicety about the edges. They made a circle round the
chorus, turning their faces toward it, and began by finging
a foft air, to which refponfes were made by the chorus in
the fame tone; and thefe were repeated alternately. All this while, the women accompanied their fong with feveral
very graceful motions of their hands toward their faces,
and in other directions at the fame time, making conftantly a ftep forward, and then back again, with one foot, while the other was fixed. They then turned their faces to the af- fembly, fung fome time, and retreated flowly in a body, to
that part of the circle which was oppofite the hut where the
principal fpetftators fat. After this, one of them advanced from each fide, meeting and pafling each other in the front, and continuing their progrefs round, till they came to the
reft. On which, two advanced from each fide, two of whom alfo paired each other, and returned as the former; but
the other two remained, and to thefe came one, from each
fide,
fide, by intervals, till the whole number had again formed >777. a circle about the chorus. ■
Their manner of dancing was now changed to a quicker
meafure, in which they made a kind of half turn by leaping,
and clapped their hands, and fnapped their fingers, repeating fome words in conjundlion with the chorus. Toward
the end, as the quicknefs of the mafic increafed, their geftures and attitudes were varied vigour and dexterity ; and fome of their mwotiitohn sw, opnedrhearpfusl, pwaorut lodf, wthieth p uersf, obrem raencckeo,n medo frta pthreorb ainbdlye,c ewnat.s nTohto mugehan tth tios
cinogn vveayr iaentyy owfa tnhteoinr imdeoavse,m beunt tms.erely to difplay the aftoniih- -
To this grand female ballet, fucceeded one performed by tfoif theaevne mabenat.e dS loimttlee ooff ththeemir waegrilei toyl do r; abrudto uthr efiorr a tghee T deeamnceed.
They were difpofed in a fort of circle, divided at the front, with their faces not turned out toward the afiembly, nor
inward to the chorus ; but one half of their circle faced forward
as they had advanced, and the other half in a contrary
direction. They, fometimes, fung flowly, in concert
witly he chorus ; and, while thus employed, they alfo made
feveral very fine motions with their hands, but different from thofe made by the women, at the fame time inclining
the body to either fide alternately, by railing one leg, which was ftretched outward, and refting on the other; the arm of the fame fide being alfo ftretched fully upward. At other times, they recited fentenees in a mufical tone, which were anfwered by the chorus ; and, at intervals, increafed the meafure of the dance, by clapping the hands, and quickening
the motions of the feet, which, however, were never
varied. At the end, the rapidity of the mufic, and of the
K k a 1 dancing,