THE FESTIVAL. 51 



by gymnastic evolutions or contortions of various 

 performers, w^ho at the same time chaunted, accom- 

 panied by the drums and chorus. The first were 

 young girls, then young men, and lastly, as if to M^ind 

 up and provoke our mirth at any rate, an aged woman 

 with shrivelled limbs, and hideous puckered visage, 

 essayed a feeble exhibition, crooning out also in a 

 thin and shaking tone, and concluding her deed of 

 might with a grin of horror. It was so inexpressibly 

 ludicrous, that notwithstanding great disgust and pity 

 for the poor old creature, our uncontrollable emotions 

 were not to be suppressed, and we laughed loudly 

 and long, at which the dame seemed greatly flattered, 

 and cackled to herself in high glee. 



The Tuski drum is composed of the peritoneum or 

 external membrane of the stomach of the deer, seal, or 

 walrus, stretched across a slight hollow frame of an 

 oblong round, with a short handle to keep clear of the 

 skin. This membrane is not generally beaten ; a light 

 wand of drift fir is held by the middle and struck 

 against the edges of the wooden frame, sound being- 

 produced by concussion : sometimes two very light 

 rods of whalebone with small knobs are used ; these 

 are gently tapped on the skin itself, and the sound 

 then is more shrill. The evolutions practised to-night 

 brought only the upper part of the performers' body 



F, 2 



