1s^ AVOYAGETO 



!777- dancing, increafed fo much, that it was fcarcely poflible to 

 .t— V — ; diftinguifli the different movements ; though one might 

 fuppofe the adtors were now almoft tired, as their perform- 

 ance had lafted near half an hour. 



After a confiderable interval, another adt, as we may call 

 it, began. Twelve men now advanced, who placed them- 

 felves in double rows fronting each other, but on oppolite 

 fides of the circle ; and, on one fide, a man was ftationed, 

 who, as if he had been a prompter, repeated feveral fen- 

 tences, to which the twelve new performers, and the chorus, 

 replied. They then fung flowly ; and afterward danced and 

 fung more quickly, for about a quarter of an hour, after 

 the manner of the dancers whom they had fucceeded. 



Soon after they had finiflied, nine women exhibited tliem- 

 felves, and fat down fronting the hut where the Chief was. 

 A man then rofe, and flruck the firfl of thefe women on the 

 back, with both fills joined. He proceeded, in the fame 

 manner, to the fccond and thirds but when he came to the 

 fourth, whether from accident or defign I cannot tell, in- 

 ftead of the back, he ftruck her on the breaft. Upon this, a 

 perfon rofe inftantly from the crov/d, who brought him to 

 the ground with a blow on the head ; and he was carried 

 off without the leaft noife or diforder. But this did not fave 

 the other five women from fo odd a difcipline, or perhaps 

 neceffary ceremony ; for a perfon fucceeded him, who 

 treated them in the fame manner. Their difgrace did not 

 end here ; for when they danced, they had the mortification 

 to find their performance twice difapproved of, and were 

 obliged to repeat it. This dance did not differ much from 

 that of the firll women, except in this one circumftance, that 

 the prefent fct, fometimes raifed the body upon one \cg, 



by 



