CHARACTERS. 



781 



plcte this dress, without which Ue 

 was not properly equipped,, he put 

 a wrapper over all. 



Being now accoutred, he was 

 placed on the outside of the shed. 

 The rajah of Dungally was station- 

 ed next to him ; Tuan Hadjee next 

 to the rajah of Dungally ; and next 

 to Tuan Hadjee the most respectable 

 man of the proa. ' • 



About twenty of thebestmen from 

 the proa were picked out as a guard 

 to walk before the bridegroom : 

 they were all armed, according to 

 their custom, with spears and shields. 

 The procession began from the beach 

 to the town, which was not at a 

 great distance. At the same time, 

 about thirty men, armed with spears 

 and shields, ran out of the town to 

 oppose them, or to present a sham 

 fii;ht, which they performed exceed- 

 ingly well, but gradually retreated 

 towards the town, while the party 

 of the rajah and his son kept ad- 

 vancing, till they arrived at»the gate 

 of the tow n. 



A palempore, or a piece of chintz, 

 was extended across the gateway, as 

 it' to prevent their entrance, until 

 the rajah's son had made some pre- 

 sent to the men of Dungally. He 

 therefore wUs obliged to give them 

 some betel-nut and some serrie, 

 which they chew with the betel, 

 and they withdrew the palempore. 

 lie then advancfd about two rods 

 further, when the palempore was 

 again put across ; and at the same 

 time his i)foplo, and those of the ra- 

 jah of Dungally, appeared to shew 

 thi; greatest angoraguiiist each other, 

 by darting their spears over each 

 other's heads, till the young rajah 

 made a second present. The Dun- 

 gally peo|)^e then again withdrew 

 Ihe p.ilempore, when the son ad- 

 ■»a iced a little farth9rj and so con- 



tinued till he reached the house 

 where the bride was. He then went 

 up the steps to go into the house; 

 but there was again a palempore 

 held across the door ; which obliged 

 him to make another stop. Here 

 they detained him for some time, 

 wanting now a larger present. He 

 took out of his pocket a handful of 

 serrie and betel-nut, holding it out 

 at some distance, and all anxiously 

 reaching for it, they neglected the 

 palempore, and let one end drop ; 

 when he stepped in without giving 

 the serrie and the betel. This caused 

 great laughter, and the spectators 

 gave a general shout. 



The son was then conducted into 

 the large room where the bride was 

 waiting for him, and immediatelj 

 seated himself by the side of her. 

 The house was directly crowded by- 

 all the head and respectable men of 

 the place. 



Tuan Hadjee, who had followed 

 tlie procession, now entered, and 

 placed himself at the end of the room 

 opposite to the bride and bride- 

 groom, to perform the marriage ce- 

 remony. He first married the bride- 

 groom to the bride, telling him that 

 he must provide a house and servants 

 for her, and treat her well. He 

 then married her to him, by charg- 

 ing her to forsake all other men for 

 his sake, to be attentive to him, and 

 to acknowledge him to be her sujjc- 

 rior. This being ended, they made 

 a salam, or thanks. 



Tuan Hadjee then began to sing 

 a certain tune, which was musical, 

 lively and pleasing, and used only 

 on similar occasions. At the close, ho 

 was accompanied by all the guests. 

 This being finished, supper wa« 

 brought in. The bride and bride- 

 groom cat out of the same dish for 

 the fir»t tiflie ; and tie rest of the 



company 



