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Celebes and a year after undergo the ceremony of having their 

 /'' teeth blackened, which last operation is performed on 

 girls also, and is considered an ornament. Different festi- 

 vals are celebrated on the island, which vary according 

 to the period, and the parties that participate in them. 

 One is held at the close of harvest, when a large tree 

 full of branches, but stripped of the leaves, is brought 

 into the middle of the town, and stuck in the ground. 

 The ends of the branches being cut off, are replaced 

 by the extremities of sago or cocoa-nut branches, so 

 disposed that the leaves hang down, and baskets con- 

 taining boiled rice or Indian corn are suspended from 

 them. When the tree is thus completely decorated, 

 every person in the town contributes a dish of some- 

 thing, such as fish or fowl, for a feast at sun-set, and 

 collect to dance about it. An exterior circle is formed 

 by the old people, an interior one by the war-men 

 and their wives, and within that is another of youths 

 and girls. Dancing is protracted until midnight, 

 : when they partake of the feast, beside a large fire, and 

 by the light of lamps. The dance is then resumed; 

 and the tree afterwards, with great tumult, in which 

 all engage, is despoiled of the baskets of rice. This 

 'done, the actors again return to the feast, which is 

 now finished. 



The principal diversion of the people is cockfight- 

 ing, which is practised every afternoon, and is very 

 well understood among them. The whole men in a 

 town collect to participate of the sport, and spend 

 half the night in gambling with cards and dice when 

 it is over. 



The natives of Celebes entertain an idea, that if a 

 sick person can eat he will recover ; and employ in- 

 cantations in endeavouring to operate many of their 

 cures. Their principal specific is betel-nut, and the 

 rajah is a chief operator. His taking a piece into his 

 mouth, and blowing on the part affected, is consider- 

 ed a sdvereign remedy. If the complaint be a fever, 

 a drum is beat by two men, one at each end, without 

 intermission, until the patient either dies or recovers. 

 On the death of a rajah, his body is immediately 

 conveyed to a building where all public business 

 is transacted ; the people singing and throwing 

 Stones before it on the way, and at the same time 

 bearing their warlike implements. Eight girls sit 

 with the body, four on each side> two days and a 

 night, fanning it, while two lamps are kept constant- 

 ly burning. The rajah generally provides himself 

 with a coffin during his life, and he is carried to the 

 grave by all the warriors of the place, who exhibit a 

 sham fight. A fire is kindled at the grave after the 

 earth is returned, and watch kept there during the 

 night : next morning a house is erected, where the wi- 

 dow of the deceased, attended by her female kindred, 

 reside during a month. But when about to leave it, 

 a remarkable ceremony, which we believe is elsewhere 

 unexampled, takes place. A woman or girl is bar- 

 barously murdered by the natives, as a sacrifice to 

 the manes of the deceased. Two young chiefs com- 

 mence the cruel ceremony, by plunging their spears 

 into the body of the innocent victim, who meets her 

 fate with fortitude; and she soon falls under the 

 weapons of others. Her head is then severed and 

 presented to the successor of the deceased, who is no 

 longer recognised by his former name. 



Very little of the history of this large island is 

 known to Europeans. The natives of some of the 



states claim high antiquity, founding their origin 

 in fabulous traditions transmitted from their ances- 

 tors. In the year 1603, Goach had its thirteenth 

 chief or king, and in about the middle of last centu- 

 ry its twenty second. The territory of Boni had its 

 sixteenth sovereign in 1713, and its twenty-second in 

 1775. It thence appears how rapidly succession 

 takes place, and instead of between three or four 

 generations occupying a century as in Europe, the 

 number is infinitely greater. Probably the frequent 

 wars of petty states contribute much more than the 

 effect of climate to shorten the natural term of life ; 

 for it appears that very aged persons are occasionally 

 found in the warmer regions. 



In the year 1512, the Portuguese established them- 

 selves in Celebes, and are said to have assisted the na- 

 tives to build the fort of Macassar, which is rather 

 more than a furlong from the beach, and is now the 

 principal residence of the Europeans. The Dutch, 

 esteeming a settlement on the island of great conse- 

 quence to their trade, made themselves masters of the 

 fort in 1667 ; and from thence gradually extended 

 their encroachments on the natives. Some years ago 

 they had no less than 370 towns or villages under 

 their controul. But the natives did not view their 

 growing influence without jealousy, and resorting to 

 arms, endeavoured to repel their successive aggres- 

 sions. Some of the more warlike tribes laid waste 

 their possessions, and threatened to attack the fort, 

 which they summoned to surrender. The Dutch 

 found means to retain other tribes in their ser- 

 vice, by whose assistance they made a sally when 

 in the greatest danger, and obtained a signal vic- 

 tory. A more artful policy than force of arms was 

 adopted, in exciting distrust among the respec- 

 tive tribes, so that by alternately aiding one, they 

 could repress the power of another. Thus they li- 

 ved in a state of security amidst the uninterrupted 

 wars which have prevailed during the preceding cen- 

 tury. 



Settlements on the island of Celebes were of very 

 great importance to the Dutch, from its vicinity to 

 their most productive spice islands, on which account, 

 though a yearly loss resulted from the expence of 

 keeping up this government, they anxiously repaired 

 them, (c) 



CELLINI, BENVENUTO, a Florentine artist, e- 

 qually celebrated for the diversity of his adventures, 

 and for his talents in sculpture, statuary, medalliiig, 

 and jewellery. 



Benvenuto was the son of John Cellini, the descend- 

 ant of a respectable family in the family of Ambra, and 

 was born in the year 1500. At an early age he began 

 to shew a decided prepossession for the arts, which 

 was probably promoted by witnessing his father'* 

 works in ivory. But here he received no encourage- 

 ment, for John Cellini was bent on making his son a 

 musician only, and used every persuasion to induce 

 him to become a skilful performer* Though obe- 

 dient to paternal command, Benvenuto's natural ge- 

 nius broke through all restraint, and while still a very- 

 young man, his works in gold and silver after the 

 manner of the antique, were exhibited as admirable 

 productions. Michael Angelo Buonarotti had then 

 completed some of his cartoons, which inspired Cel- 

 lini with an ardent desire to improve from his style. 

 Cellini next directed his attention to seal-engra- 



Cellini. 



