a Tribe of Coffers on the East of the Cape Colony. 45 



left hand, having a stick or assagai in the right. They com- 

 ineuce stamping and beating the ground with tneir feet making a 

 sort of humming noise with their voice. As they get animated, 

 they proceed to leap up in a simultaneous manner, increasing the 

 power of their voice until it arrives at its highest pitch. It has 

 now lost its drawling sound and assumes that of loud mono- 

 tonous shouts, to which they keep time with their movements. 

 In the rear of the men the women assemble, who, movin^i: their 

 bodies forward and backward, join in the shouts of the men 

 harmonizing with their tones, so that at a distance the sound has 

 not an unpleasing effect on the ear. After some continuance in 

 this exercise of the body and lungs the first rank of the groupe, 

 which before this has increased to a large number, (for there are 

 continually fresh arrivals and departures,) turns to the right, 

 and throwing themselves into a variety of attitudes, stamping 

 with their feet, and violently expelling the air from their lungs 

 ynih a noise not much unlike the sound produced by the pro- 

 nouncing of the syllable " hush," they slowly circumambulate the 

 groupe of what may be called stationary dancers, keeping time 

 with them in the various attitudes they make, which are of a 

 pantomimic nature. A certain number of women also accom- 

 panies this party, proceeding in a row by their side, and shaking 

 their persons particularly their shoulders in a violent manner, at 

 the same time uttering the same sounds as the men, whom they 

 appear to exceed in making the greatest noise. Though a by- 

 stander may find great pleasure in observing the many elegant 

 attitudes into which the men throw themselves, yet it is impossible 

 to refrain from laughter when he casts his eye upon the uncouth 

 and ridiculous figure the females exhibit in these amusements. 

 The violence of the exertion causes the perspiration to flow in 

 /jopious streams from their bodies, and the exhausted creatures 

 are from time to time relieved by others, who form the party of 

 spectators, during the time they rest, and thus the dance is kept 

 up for an indefinite lenjjth of time. The length of time this 

 dance is kept up depends upon the wealth of the bridegroom 

 and his friends, and the assembly is fed during its continuance by 

 them. The ceremony is always performed on the last day, so 

 that its performance is the token that the dance is at an end. 

 When the marriage is about to take place it is commenced by a 

 number of women, who come about and clear the cattle kraal 

 and the space for a great length before it. Upon this the party 

 who had been circumambulating the stationary dancers retire 

 and mix with this groupe which continues its dance the whole 

 time. The old women from time to time run about shouting 

 and striking the ground with long sticks. At length a line of 

 warriors fully equipped with their feathers and shields appear 

 and take up their position about 100 yards in front of the 



