1865.] Description of a Mystic Play, 73 



Chut,* and in single file led round the flag-poles in the centre of the 

 yard, with a sort of quiet and most laughable dance, slowly turning 

 round and round themselves, and coming to a sudden halt at the end of 

 each bar of the music, which the drummers notified by a louder stroke, 

 Thus the circle moved round the poles while they tossed their arms about 

 and waved the coloured flags they held in their hands. The dresses 

 were all of China silk and Kimkab, the apron embroidered with the 

 face of a hideous demon, the head-dress was a large conical hat with a 

 very broad brim, edged with black wool ; from the hat several wide 

 ribbons of different gay coloured silks hung down the back, extending 

 nearly to the heels, but the most extraordinary and striking part of their 

 costume, was the device of a death's head, the eye-sockets, teeth, &c. 

 worked in silk on a white ground. This was suspended from the neck 

 and hung down to just below the breast. 



In the left hand they held a sort of spoon having for the bowl a piece 

 of human skull, cut out of the forehead portion, and round the edge of 

 which were attached narrow streamers of silk and some plaited ends of 

 hair. This ghostly ladle is called " Bundah." In these spoons, the 

 portions into which the enemy is cut up, are earned away and thrown 

 up into the air as an offering to the gods : of this enemy I shall speak 

 further on. These maskers hold in the right hand a short little stick 

 with red and blue streamers of silk ; these and the spoons majestically 

 waived about as they go round in their solemn dance, had the most 

 curious effect I ever saw. Pantomimes and extravaganzas floated 

 roimd one during the whole performance, yet this was a real mystical 

 religious pageant having some curious and bygone origin, which 

 none of the party knew or could get explained. This dance came to 

 an end at last, and as the troop ascended the steps to the large door- 

 way, the same number, but in a different disguise, came out. The tune 

 was now changed and seemed to be the repeating of a number of stanzas 

 of the same length, the maskers held in the right hand little drums 

 and in the left, bells. To the first, the drums were attached a short string 

 with a small ball at the end, so that when moved quickly backwards and 

 forwards it may strike both ends of the drum. At the end of each stanza 

 they gave a rattle and a ring at the same time, moving round in the same 

 way as did the first set, only stopping to make an obeisance to the 

 * See Photographs, No. 1. 



