\777- preceded by four men, who walked two and two abreafh
July* » r
> and fat down on his fon’s left hand, about twenty paces
from him. The young prince, then, quitting his firft po-
fition, went and fat dow'n under the ihed, with his attendants
; and a coniiderable number more placed themfelves
on the grafs, before this royal canopy. The prince himfelf
fat facing the people, with his back to the moral. This
being done, three companies, of ten or a dozen men in
each, ftarted up from amongft the large crowd, a little after
each other, and running haftily to the oppoiite fide of the
area, fat down for a few feconds; after which, they returned,
in the fame manner, to their former ftations. To
them fucceeded two men, each of whom held a fmall
green branch in his hand, who got up and approached the
prince, fitting down, for a few feconds, three different
times, as they advanced ; and then, turning their backs, re.
tired in the fame manner, inclining their branches to each
other as they fat. In a little time, two more repeated this
ceremony.
The grand proceffion, which I had. feen march off from
the other moral, now began to come in. To judge of the
circuit they had made, from the time they-had been abfent, it
muft have been pretty large. As they entered the area, they
marched up to the right of the ihed, and, having proflrated
themfelves on the grafs, depofited their pretended burthens
(the poles above-mentioned), and faced round to the
prince. They then rofe up, and retired in the fame order,
clofing their hands, which they held before them, with the
moll ferious afpedt, and feated themfelves along the front
of the area. During all the time that this numerous band
'were coming in, and depofiting their poles, three men, who
fat under the ihed, with the prince, continued pronouncing
feparate
feparate fentences, in a melancholy tone. After this, a pro- *777»
found filence enfued, for a little time, and then a man, who —>—
fat in the front of the area, began an oration (or prayer),
during which, at feveral different times, he went and broke
one of the poles, which had been brought in by thofe who
had walked in proceffion. When he had ended, the people,
fitting before the ihed, feparated, to make a lane, through
which the prince and his attendants paifed, and the aifembly
broke up.
Some of our party, fatisfied with what they had already
feen, now returned to the ihips j but I, and two or three
more of the officers, remained at Mooa, to .fee the conclu-
fion of the folemnity, which was not to be till the next day;
being defirous of omitting no opportunity, which might
afford any information about the religious or the political
inilitutions of this people. The fmall flicks or poles, which
had been brought into the area, by thofe who walked in
proceffion, being left lying on the ground, after the crowd
had difperfed, I went and examined them. I found, that to
the middle of" each, two or three fmall flicks were tied, as
has been related. Yet we had been repeatedly told by the
natives, who flood near us, that they were young yam.s;
infomuch that fome of our gentlemen believed them, rather
than their own eyes. As I had the demonflration of
my fenfes to fatisfy me, that they were not real yams, it is
clear, that we ought to have underilood them, that they
were only the artificial reprefentations of thefe roots.
Our fupper was got ready about feven o’clock. It confided
of fiih and yams. We might have had pork alfo ; but
we did not choofe to kill a large hog, which the king had
given to us for that purpofe. He fupped with us, and drank
pretty freely of brandy and water; fo that he went to bed
with