*FSSEL 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



28 



GOOD FRIDAY. 



was put over, and pressed down upon the head ; 

 which was soon taken off, and shown to the 

 people, stained with the circular mark of the 

 crown in blood : this done, the nails which 

 transfix the hands were by degrees knocked 

 out, and this produced a violent beating of 

 breasts among the female part of the congrega- 

 tion. A long white linen bandage was next 

 passed under each arm-pit of the image ; the 

 nail which secured the feet was removed ; the 

 figure was let down very gently, and was care- 

 fully wrapped up in a white sheet. All this was 

 done by word of command from the preacher. 

 The sermon was then quickly brought to a con- 

 clusion, and we left the church. I was quite 

 amazed ; I had heard that something of this 

 kind was to be done, but I had no idea of the 

 extent to which the representation would be 

 carried. 



On Saturday morning we were saluted with 

 the bellowing of cattle, the grunting of pigs, 

 and the cries of the negro slaves with baskets of 

 fowls of several kinds for sale j these were to be 

 devoured after the ensuing midnight, and many 

 families, weary of their long abstinence, im- 

 patiently awaited the striking of the clocks, as a 

 signal for the commencement of hostile oper- 

 ations, without mercy or scruple, upon turkies > 

 pigs, &c. and all the rest of the miserable tribes 



