278 RAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Oh. XVH. 



took shelter under the verandahs of the shops on the 'other 

 side of the road. At the back of the stage, in the centre, 

 was placed a table, behind which were the musicians, some 

 hammering upon tom-toms of various sizes, which gave out 

 a more or less resonant sotind, others playing upon the 

 fifes, and producing sounds which might readily be mistaken 

 for bag-pipes. Besides this there were three embroidered 

 mats hanging down behind the stage, and these together 

 constituted the scenery, properties, orchestra, and all equip- 

 ments which their Thespian simplicity required. At the 

 back of the stage a door on either side served as an entrance 

 and exit for the actors, who always came in at the left hand 

 and retired at the right. The play appeared to be a bur- 

 lesque, and the actors used the burlesque movements of the 

 low comedians on our own stage, only more coarse, clownish, 

 and exaggerated. They were men and women in this case, 

 though more commonly the women's parts are performed 

 by men ia female costume. The men were dressed in the 

 highly embroidered robes and painted grotesque masks 

 which are familiar to every one who has turned over rice- 

 paper picture books ; and the women spoke in a high 

 falsetto voice, quite different from the female treble. They 

 came in by the left door in small parties, flourished about, 

 and shouted, passing slowly in front of the stage, and then 

 disappeared on the right side, and were succeeded by another 

 party, the same party again re-appearing after a short inter- 

 val. There seemed to be no termiuation to the story, nor 

 any limits to the endurance of the actors or spectators ; for 

 the latter kept up a constant crowd in front of the stage, 

 behaving, however, with great decorum and even gravity, 

 and showing little inclination to laugh at the antics of the 

 players ; and I could only judge of the actors' endurance, 



