*777- prefented, one by one, on the forked flicks, as they came
• ^ J ■ in, to two men, who fat on the le ft ; and who, till now,
held green branches in their hands. The firft fifh they
laid down on their right, and the fecond on their'left. When
the third was prefented, a flout looking man, who fat behind
the other two, reached his arm over between them,
and made a fnatch at i t ; as alfo did the other two, at the
very fame time. Thus they feemed to contend for every
fifh that was prefented; but as there were two hands againfl
one, befides the advantage of fituation, the man behind got
nothing but pieces; for he never quitted his hold, till the
fifh was torn out of his hand ; and what little remained in
it, he fliook out behind him. The others laid what they
got, on the right and left alternately. At length, either by
accident or defign, the man behind got pofTeflion of a whole
fifh, without either of the other two fo much as touching
it. At this, the word mareeai, which fignifies very good, or
well done, was uttered in a low voice throughout the whole
crowd. It feemed, that he had performed now all that was
expefted from him; for he made' no attempt upon the
few fifh that came after. Thefe fifh, as alfo the baikets,
were all delivered, by the perfons who brought them in,
fitting; and, in the fame order and manner, the fmall
poles, which the firfl proceffion carried, had been laid upon
the ground. ■
The lail proceffion being clofed, there was fome fpeak-
ing or praying, by different perfons. Then, on fomefignal
being given, we all flarted up, ran feveral paces to the left,
and fat down with our backs to the prince, and the few
who remained with him. I was defired not to look behind
me. However, neither this injunction, nor the remembrance
of Lot’s wife, difcouraged me from, facing about.
s I now
I now faw that the prince had turned his face to the moral. ?777- July.
But this lail movement had brought fo many people be- <— I*— j
tween him and me, that I could not perceive what was
doing. I was afterward affured, that, at this very time, the
prince was admitted to the high honour of eating with his
father ; which, till now, had never been permitted to him ;
a piece of roafled yam being prefented to each of them for
this purpofe. This was the more probable, as we had been
told, before-hand, that this was to happen during the fo-
lemnity ; and as all the people turned their backs to them,
at this time, which they always do when their monarch
eats. , ,
After fome little time, we all faced about, and formed a
femicircle before the prince, leaving a large open fpace between
us. Prefently there appeared fome men coming toward
us, two and two, bearing large flicks, or poles, upon
their ihoulders, making,a noife that might be called fing-
ing, and waving their hands as they advanced. When they
had got clofe up to us, they made a ihew of walking very
fail, without proceeding a fingle flep. Immediately after,
three or four men flarted up from the crowd, with large
flicks in their hands, who ran toward thofe new-comers.
The latter inilantly threw down the poles from their ihoulders,
and fcampered off ; and the others attacked the poles ;
and, having beat them moil unmercifully, returned to their
places. As the pole-bearers ran off, they gave the challenge
that is ufual here in wreflling ; and, not long after, a number.
of flout fellows came from the fame quarter, repeating
the challenge as they advanced. Thefe were oppofed by a
party, who came from the-oppofite fide almoft at the fame
inilant. The two parties paraded about the area for a
few minutes, and then retired, each to their own fide. After
this,