1876.J ^01 [Gabb. 



dried armadillo skin is scraped with a large bean-like seed ; in the same 

 manner as I have seen the negroes of the West Indies scrape arongbened 

 calabash with a bone. The dancers clasp each otber over the shoulder, 

 around the waist, or hook arms ; both sexes taking part in the dancing, 

 but not in the singing or drumming, these being the especial province of 

 the men. The steps are usually about three forward and to one side, and 

 then the same number backward. When arranged in a circle, this carries 

 them gradually around the musicians. When in a straight line, they keep 

 on the same spot. The songs are a sort of recitative, sometimes im- 

 promptu, sometimes of fixed words ; the chorus a sort of "fol-de-rol," a 

 series of meaningless syllables. These songs for dancing must not, how- 

 ever, be confounded with the sacred songs of the priest«, of which I shall 

 have occasion to make fuller mention in the proper place. 



The dances are kept up nearly all, and sometimes all night at the 

 funeral feast ; the participants retiring from time to time and sleeping an 

 hour or two when exhausted, and returning with renewed vigor to chi- 

 cha drinking, eating, and dancing. It is particularly on these occasions, 

 when the older people are too drunk, or too busy to keep strict watch, 



that the younger folks manage to evade their vigilance and . These 



eminently practical courtships almost invariably precede the asking of 

 the father's consent by the would-be bridegroom. 



After more than two weeks of this license and debauchery, during 

 which three cows, about a dozen pigs, hundreds of bunches of plantains, 

 several quintals of rice, and hundreds of gallons of chicha had been de- 

 voured, the M-lia-lcra or steward announced that the commissaiy had 

 given out and the riot must come to an end. I was notified according 

 to previous agreement and went at the time appointed. As distinguished 

 guests, our party of four were shown to the best hammocks, where 

 we were seated, and in a few minutes served with cups of chocolate. In a 

 little while, all of the priests seated themselves on low benches, the leader 

 in the middle. The lay chorus singers were ranged in a double line 

 facing each other and below the priests. The fire was carefully carried 

 from its place under the corpse and piled almost between the feet of the 

 principal priest. All drank chocolate and the priests sounded their 

 rattles. The leader began a low dirge-like song in the sacred jargon, 

 which I was told described in detail the journey of the defunctto the other 

 world. It told of the dangerous rivers he had to cross, where alligators 

 lay in wait to devour him ; of the great serpents who disputed his path ; 

 of the high hills he had to climb with weary steps ; of the fearful preci- 

 pices he mu.st scale ; of the beautiful birds with sweet songs, compared 

 with which even the flute-like silgiiero was as a crow ; of the gorgeous 

 butterflies that lightened up the path like flying flowers, and finally of 

 his safe arrival at the country of the great 8i-bu, where he would have 

 nothing to do but eat, drink, sleep, and enjoy himself. 



The song was divided into stanzas, and the priests all followed the lead 

 of their chief, the words being a series of set phrases, but in a language 



