1865.] Description of a Mystic Play. 73 
Cuvur,* 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, We. 
worked in silk on a white ground. This was suspended from the neck 
and hung down to just below the breast. 
Tn 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 ‘“ Bunpan.” In these spoons, the 
portions into which the enemy is cut up, are carried 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 
round 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 arattle and aring 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, 
