31-2 A VOYAGE TO 



'777- preceded by four men, who walked two and two abreafl;, 

 and fat down on his fon's left hand, about twenty paces 

 from him. The young prince, then> quitting his firll: po- 

 firion, went and fat down under the fhed, with his attend- 

 ants ; and a confiderable number more placed themfelves 

 on the grafs, bef-ore this royal canopy. The prince himfelf 

 fat facing the people, with his back to the morai. This 

 being done, three companies, of ten or a dozen nien in 

 each, ftarted up from amongft the large crovs^d, a little after 

 each other, and running haftily to the oppofue fide of the 

 area, fat down for a few feconds ; after which, they re- 

 turned, in the fame manner, to their former flations. 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, tie- 

 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 morai, 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 fhed, and, having proftratcd 

 themfelves on the grafs, depofited their pretended bur- 

 thens (the poles above-mentioned), and faced round to the 

 prince. They then rofe up, and retired in the fame order, 

 clofmg their hands, which rhey held before them, with the 

 moil ferious afpedl, 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 flie^, with the prince, continued pronouncing 



feparate 



