112 FROM RADACK TO 



answer; and, diligently as her eyes wandered over 

 me, the royal mother did not deign to speak ; and I 

 was at length convinced that her high dignity im- 

 posed silence on her, particularly as the ladies of 

 honour, in direct contrast to their mistress, chattered 

 without ceasing. A present which I made the queen 

 was received with a gracious inclination of the 

 head, but she did not touch it ; the ladies of 

 honour took charge of it, and after the presents 

 in return, consisting of some cocoa-nuts and two 

 rolls of mogan had been laid at my feet in pro- 

 found silence, the queen retired to her house, 

 and the audience was at an end. The young 

 Tamon then conducted me to a tolerably large 

 house, supported on four posts, where I found an 

 assemblage of young and profusely ornamented 

 ladies ; one of them, the sister of my companion, 

 sat apart ; I was invited to sit next her, and the 

 people again formed a circle round us. In this 

 visit to the princess, there was not so much cere- 

 mony as with her august mother; she asserted her 

 right to speak, and was much pleased when I said 

 any thing to her in her own langage ; the people 

 too were permitted to take a share in the merri- 

 ment, and to joke. The princess ordered a panto- 

 mime, with songs, which is called by the inhabitants 

 Eb, to amuse me. Two of her play-mates sat 

 themselves by her, the one beat a drum, and the 

 other joined now and then the solo song of the 

 princess, which resembled screaming. The name 



