12 HISTORY OF 



consequence of mortification ; very few indeed 

 escape this loss, and those few who do, are 

 treated with contempt. 



The men too suffer a privation, most of them 

 lose the right front tooth, which operation is 

 attended with numerous ceremonies. The 

 principals who perform it, come from Cam- 

 mey-ray, armed with shields, cluhs, and throw- 

 ing sticks, painted in the form of their tribe; 

 the ground selected for the business is pre- 

 viously cleared in an oval figure of about 

 30 feet by 20, and this mystic spot is called 

 Yoo-lahng : the operators arrived, take their 

 position at one end of it, and at the other end 

 the boys, generally to the number of from 14 

 to 20, and of various ages, who are brought 

 by their friends or relations to undergo the 

 ceremony, which initiates them into the liber- 

 ties of men, as soon as they are capable of per- 

 forming the duties. The ceremony then begins, 

 from the opposite end of the Yoo-lahng, the 

 armed party advance, singing and clattering 

 their shields and spears, and Math their feet 

 kicking up dust enough to hide and choak 

 every body around them; on nearly reaching the 

 children, one of the armed men steps forward, 

 and seizing a lad returns to his party, who hail 

 him by a lhout, showing at the same time, a de- 

 termination to keep and protect the victim ; in 

 this way the whole are taken and seated on the 

 opposite end of the Yoo-lahng, each with his 

 legs crossed under him, holding down his head 

 and clasping his hands, Miserable as this situ- 



